Executive Order 2026-02

EXECUTIVE ORDER 2026-02 EXECUTIVE ORDER TO TRANSFER THE COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-BASED YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

February 25, 2026

WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Community-Based Youth Services Program (“CCBYS”) is currently run by the Illinois Department of Human Services (“IDHS”); and,

WHEREAS, CCBYS serves youth ages 11-17 years old who are at risk of involvement in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems with the overarching goals of 1) family preservation, reunification, and/or stabilization, and 2) prevention of youth entry into the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems; and,

WHEREAS, CCBYS offers a continuum of services to these youth, and to their families when appropriate, such as crisis intervention, family stabilization, and temporary emergency placements in cases of family conflict or homelessness; and,

WHEREAS, CCBYS currently funds 28 grantees and 11 sub-recipients, statewide, annually serving approximately 6,500 youth; and,

WHEREAS, CCBYS expends approximately $40 million annually and relies upon dedicated positions currently within IDHS to manage the program; and,

WHEREAS, CCBYS’s prevention and diversion focus fits naturally within the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ (“DCFS”) expanding portfolio of community-based supports aimed at stabilizing families and preventing entry into the care of the State of Illinois; and,

WHEREAS, the transfer of CCBYS from IDHS to DCFS will unify overlapping youth-service functions within a number of the same provider agencies, reduce administrative duplication between IDHS and DCFS, and strengthen coordination with DCFS’s initiatives under the Family First Prevention Services Act (“Family First”); and,

WHEREAS, integrating crisis intervention, stabilization, and family preservation services at DCFS will enable the State to leverage evidence-based interventions approved under Family First (such as Motivational Interviewing), expand access to early supports, and build a more seamless continuum of care; **** and,

WHEREAS, housing CCBYS within DCFS’s child-welfare data systems will enable stronger tracking of outcomes for youth who are diverted from deeper system involvement; and,

WHEREAS, the transfer of CCBYS from IDHS to DCFS will improve access to care for youth, and allow staff to be more responsive to the needs of Illinois residents; and,

WHEREAS, Article V, Section 11 of the Illinois Constitution authorizes the Governor to reorganize or reassign functions among executive agencies that are directly responsible to him by means of executive order; and,

WHEREAS, Section 3.2 of the Executive Reorganization Implementation Act, 15 ILCS 15/3.2(1), provides that “Reorganization” includes “the transfer of the whole or any part of any agency, or of the whole or any part of the functions thereof, to the jurisdiction and control of any other agency”;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JB Pritzker, Governor of the State of Illinois, pursuant to the executive authority vested in me by Article V, Section 11 of the Illinois Constitution, hereby order the following:

1. TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Effective on July 1, 2026, or as soon thereafter as practicable, all powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities related to CCBYS shall be transferred from IDHS to DCFS.  The statutory powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities of CCBYS derive from the Children and Family Services Act (20 ILCS 505/17 and 17a) and Article 3 of the Illinois Juvenile Court Act of 1987 (705 ILCS 405/3 et seq.), as well as the regulations promulgated thereunder, including, but not limited to:
   1. 89 Ill. Adm. Code § 310.10;
   2. 89 Ill. Adm. Code § 334.
2. EFFECT OF TRANSFER
   1. The powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities related to CCBYS shall be transferred from IDHS to DCFS and shall have the same legal effect as if done by IDHS.
   2. The job titles and positions of IDHS staff responsible for work relating to CCBYS shall be transferred to DCFS.  The status and rights of those positions and of any employees transferred pursuant to this Executive Order shall not be affected by the transfer.
   3. All books, records, papers, documents, property (real and personal), and contracts pertaining to the powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities related to CCBYS, including but not limited to material in electronic format and necessary computer hardware and software, shall be transferred from IDHS to DCFS.
   4. This Executive Order shall not affect the legality of any such rules of IDHS pertaining to CCBYS in the Illinois Administrative Code. Any IDHS rules, regulations, and other actions of CCBYS shall apply and continue as rules, regulations, and actions of DCFS.  DCFS shall write, amend or modify any rules, regulations, or other actions, as necessary, to carry out the reorganization.
   5. Any contractual, statutory or other obligations of DHS relating to the CCBYS program shall be transferred and assumed by DCFS.  DCFS shall amend or modify any contractual, statutory or other obligations, as necessary, to carry out the reorganization.
   6. DCFS shall amend or modify any rules, regulations, or other actions, as necessary, with regard to any proposed rules filed with the Secretary of State by IDHS that are pending in the rulemaking process on the effective date of this Executive Order and pertain to the functions transferred to carry out the reorganization.
   7. IDHS will operate the CCBYS through FY26 if CCBYS is not transferred to DCFS earlier. For FY27, the DCFS budget request will include General Revenue fund appropriations for the operation of the CCBYS program.  The IDHS FY27 budget request will not reflect any General Revenue fund appropriations for the operation of the CCBYS program.
   8. Every person or entity that has a contract with or grant from IDHS relating to CCBYS shall continue to have the same rights, powers, duties, obligations and responsibilities as set forth in the contract or grant, including any penalties, civil or criminal, arising therefrom.
   9. Whenever reports or notices are now required to be made or given or papers or documents furnished or served by any person to or upon CCBYS in connection with any of the functions transferred by this Executive Order, the same shall be made, given, furnished, or served in the same manner to or upon CCBYS as part of DCFS.
   10. This Executive Order shall not affect any act done, ratified, or canceled or any right occurring or established or any action or proceeding had or commenced in an administrative, civil, or criminal cause regarding CCYBS before this Executive Order takes effect; such actions or proceedings may be defended, pros ecuted, and continued by DCFS.
3. SAVINGS CLAUSE This Executive Order does not contravene, and shall not be construed to contravene any contracts, agreements, or collective bargaining agreements.
4. PRIOR EXECUTIVE ORDERS This Executive Order supersedes any contrary provision of any other prior Executive Order.
5. SEVERABILITY If any provision of this Executive Order or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, this invalidity does not affect any other provision or application of this Executive Order which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. To achieve this purpose, the provisions of this Executive Order are declared to be severable.
6. FILING AND DELIVERY This Executive Order shall be filed with the Secretary of State. A copy of this Executive Order shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Senate and to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and, for the purpose of preparing revisory legislation, to the Legislative Reference Bureau.
7. EFFECTIVE DATE Provided that neither house of the General Assembly disapproves of this Executive Order by the record vote of a majority of the members elected, this Executive Order shall take effect 60 days after its delivery to the General Assembly.

_____________________

JB Pritzker
Governor

Issued by the Governor: February 25, 2026

Filed with the Secretary of State: February 25, 2026

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