FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DuBuclet Measure Supporting Foster Care Youth Transition to Adulthood Now Law
September 22, 2023

CHICAGO – Under a new law sponsored by state Rep. Kimberly DuBuclet, D-Chicago, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will work alongside the court system to ensure that older teens in care have the resources and support they need to become independent adults.

“Our foster care youth deserve the full support of the state as they navigate those first steps into the adult world,” DuBuclet said. “This plan was crafted with input from those who spent time in our foster care system, and it directly addresses some of the most common difficulties that they faced as a young person.”

DuBuclet’s Senate Bill 1504 will require DCFS and the youth court system to administer the Successful Transition to Adulthood Review (STAR). STAR will require DCFS to create transition plans for youth over the age of 15 focused on helping the young person obtain life skills, critical documents and plans after high school. The plan will then be reviewed by the court system on its capacity to prepare the young person for adulthood.

Senate Bill 1504 was recently signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker and goes into effect on July 1, 2026.