HB1468 Summary: Family Care Plans for Infants and Families Act

• Creates framework requiring Department of Public Health to develop guidelines for hospitals, birthing centers, and medical providers on conducting family needs assessments and creating family care plans for infants exhibiting withdrawal symptoms from substance exposure.

• Establishes that family care plans must include supports and services from providers like early intervention programs, home visitation, substance use treatment, mental health services, and parenting support to be coordinated by local health departments.

• Removes from neglect definition a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium contains controlled substances, and eliminates requirement for Department of Children and Family Services to report to State's Attorney when newborn's blood contains controlled substances.

• Distinguishes "notification" of substance-exposed infants to Department of Public Health from "reports" of child abuse/neglect, clarifying that prenatal substance use is not intrinsically child maltreatment and allowing family reunification.

• Requires hospitals and child welfare agencies to provide employee training on differences between substance exposure notifications and abuse/neglect reports, and mandates data collection on implementation outcomes including demographic information and placement decisions.