Faith's Law
Faith’s Law, first passed in December of 2021, amended the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (“ANCRA”) to add grooming to the definition of abuse.
Accordingly, any mandated reporter who has reasonable cause to believe that the parent, immediate family member, household member, paramour of the child’s parent, or any person responsible for the welfare of a child known to the mandated reporter in their professional or official capacity has engaged in grooming against the child, as defined under the Illinois Criminal Code, must immediately report such belief to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
School districts must also include the District’s Employee Code of Professional Conduct in their student handbook. These standards, in part, define appropriate conduct between school employees and students. A copy of these standards can be found on the District’s website or requested from the Superintendent’s office.
Under Public Act 102-0676, 105 ILCS 5/2-3.1881, the Illinois State Board of Education has created this resource guide for parents and school staff.