Prairie State Wire

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Institutional Review Board met May 27.

Here is the agenda provided by the board:

I. Call to Order

II. Acceptance of Minutes

• April 1, 2025

III. Follow-up / Updates

• Risser (FN+ Open Trial 2024-12 Amend 1): “Building Capacity for Youth Mental Wellness: Feasibility and Acceptability for a mental health Family Navigator Model for Foster Parents”

The amendment makes minor changes to the Protocol and Consent Form: 1) Indicated that they are recruiting both English and Spanish speaking foster parents, 2) Indicated that they are recruiting only foster parents living in Illinois, 3) Indicated that they may recruit via word of mouth, and 4) Indicated in the Protocol and Consent Form that they are sharing information with NIMH as this study is funded by the NIH.

DISCUSSION: Amendment was submitted without the Spanish language consent forms, however, Spanish speaking families have not yet been recruited. Questions – 1) Do we need copies of the Spanish language forms in advance? 2) Is it required for the translator to be certified given there is no corresponding certification for native English speakers? Send to IRB legal for review. No other issues remain.

POST MEETING UPDATE (APRIL): Researcher requests we approve without the Spanish language forms if needed, so that they may start the project.

• Pachecho-Applegate (2025-04 Private ECE Providers Response to Chicago's Public Preschool Expansion and Smart Start Grants)

The proposed study is conducted as part of the researcher’s dissertation in fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. The study examines two interventions in the Chicago early childhood education (ECE) market: a citywide public preschool expansion and the Illinois Smart Start Workforce Grants (SSWG) initiative, and how ECE providers respond to these policies in terms of internal operations, decision-making, and strategies for sustaining their business. Additionally, it examines whether these policies influence providers' participation in the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), a demand-side subsidy that provides vouchers to low-income families.

The candidate is requesting access to cross-sectional versions of DCFS longitudinal licensing data that is publicly available through DCFS’s Sunshine website and via the Day Care Provider Lookup database for private early childhood education providers. The specific information requested includes details on provider type, address, license status, license start and end dates, ages served, and capacity. The data requested is specific to Chicago providers. Chapin Hall has requested a letter of support from DCFS.

DISCUSSION:

• No child level data is being requested, agency level data only. Therefore, IRB approval should not be required.

• The data requested belongs to DCFS, not Chapin Hall. Is a letter of support enough (i.e. student researcher “buys-into” Chapin Hall agreement), or is a direct Data Usage agreement with DCFS required?

Hold until May meeting to consult with IRB legal rep regarding data usage agreement. No access to children or identified data. If changes, can come back.

IV. New Proposals / Amendments

• Lazarus, Zachary (2025-05: Creative Therapies in Residential Care)

This study investigates how mental health professionals in a residential setting use artistic expressive practices with children and adolescents. Arts-based interventions have widely documented therapeutic benefits and are increasingly popular in children’s residential care. But few studies have examined how arts-based therapies are practiced, leading to uncertainty about how mental health professionals using arts-based approaches adapt their work to the unique needs of their clients and their workplace. Moreover, there is little data on the environmental factors that shape the use of arts-based interventions and how they might work in tandem with other treatment modalities. To understand the use of arts-based therapeutic practices in a residential mental health care setting and the perspectives of its practitioners, this project asks:

• How do program staff understand artistic expression and its value?

• How are creative therapies integrated into multifaceted therapeutic treatments?

• How are therapeutic and artistic processes shaped by the settings in which they're practiced?

V. Manuscript Reviews –

• Fuller, Tamara (2025-05: Maltreatment in Care) - PREDICTING MALTREATMENT IN SUBSTITUTE CARE

The study examines the impact of multiple child, caseworker, case, and agency-level factors on the occurrence of maltreatment among children placed in foster homes. The results highlights the importance of several agency-level factors (e.g. frequency of caseworker contact with the foster caregiver; type of foster home; licensing status; caseworker caseload; number of unrelated children in the home; and child disability.)

VI. On Hold – Nothing to report at this time

VII. Other

• Role & Boundaries of Institutional Review Board

▪ Evaluator Review Sheet -

▪ Review alternate tool based on DCFS Rule 432.5 Criteria by Which Proposed Research Will be Evaluated of DCFS

▪ Continue for further discussion at May meeting.

• Rules of Procedure/Bylaws Workgroup: Draft Rule 428 Review – Establishment of Rules of Procedure and/or Bylaws

▪ Draft Bylaws - Read and review for more robust discussion at May meeting.

• FY26 Preliminary Schedule

• Next Meeting: June 24, 2025 at 2:00 pm

VIII. Adjourn

https://dcfs.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dcfs/documents/about-us/impact-public-policy/documents/irb/IRB%20Agenda%202025-0527%20.pdf