Illinois DCFS forms fall into three groups most people need to deal with: background check authorizations (CFS 689 for unlicensed organizations, CFS 718-B for licensed providers), written follow-ups to an abuse or neglect hotline call (CANTS 4 for medical personnel, CANTS 5 for everyone else), and written appeals of an indicated finding. Picking the wrong form, or sending the right form to the wrong place, is the fastest way to have a submission returned unprocessed or to miss a deadline that cannot be reopened.
Background Check Forms
DCFS uses different background check forms depending on whether the organization requesting the check is licensed by the agency. The form itself tells you which category it belongs to, and the two are not interchangeable.
CFS 689 for Unlicensed Programs
The CFS 689 authorizes a CANTS background check for organizations that are not licensed by DCFS — schools, churches, park districts, youth sports leagues, and other groups screening employees, volunteers, or vendors who work with children.1Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Background Checks for Unlicensed Providers The form states in bold that it must not be used by anyone applying for DCFS licensure or working at a licensed childcare facility.2Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Authorization for Background Check for Programs Not Licensed by DCFS
You will need the applicant’s full legal name including any maiden name and aliases, date of birth, and address history. Current Illinois residents list all previous addresses from the past five years. Out-of-state residents list every Illinois address where they have ever lived.2Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Authorization for Background Check for Programs Not Licensed by DCFS The form does not ask for a Social Security number or household member information. The authorization block at the bottom gives DCFS permission to search its confidential CANTS records, and it requires signatures from both the applicant and an authorized representative of the requesting organization.
DCFS now requires most CFS 689 submissions to go through its online background check portal. Paper submissions sent by email are returned unprocessed unless the applicant qualifies for an accommodation, such as language assistance or a documented disability.3Illinois Department of Human Services. Revised CANTS Clearance Process If an accommodation applies, you can still submit by mail, fax, or scanned email:2Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Authorization for Background Check for Programs Not Licensed by DCFS
- Mail: Department of Children and Family Services, 406 E. Monroe, Station #30, Springfield, IL 62701
- Fax: 217-782-3991
- Email: CFS689Background@illinois.gov
The DCFS Production Control Unit answers questions about the CFS 689 and submission status at 217-557-0758.1Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Background Checks for Unlicensed Providers
CFS 718-B for Licensed Providers
Anyone operating or working at a DCFS-licensed facility uses a CFS 718-B instead. Child welfare agencies, group homes, and institutions use the CFS 718-B AI. Day care centers use the CFS 718-B DC. Both go through the DCFS Background Check Portal rather than the CFS 689 channels.
To get portal access, register an email account at AccountManagement.dcfs.illinois.gov, then complete the Background Check Portal Access Request Form and email it to DCFS.BCP.ADMIN@illinois.gov. Approval takes up to five business days.4Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Background Check Portal for Licensed Providers The CFS 718-B is only part of what licensed providers have to clear. Under the Child Care Act, every applicant, employee, and volunteer must also authorize a criminal background investigation and submit fingerprints to the Illinois State Police for state and FBI checks, and that authorization has to be renewed every five years.5Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 10 – Child Care Act of 1969
Written Follow-Up After an Abuse or Neglect Report
Reports of suspected abuse or neglect start with a phone call to the DCFS hotline at 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873) or an online report at childabuse.illinois.gov.6Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Anyone can make the call. Mandated reporters have to make it, and they have to follow up in writing within 48 hours.
The follow-up form depends on your profession. Medical professionals in hospitals, clinics, and private facilities use the CANTS 4. All other mandated reporters — teachers, social workers, counselors, child care workers, clergy, law enforcement, coaches, and the rest of the broad list in Illinois law — use the CANTS 5.7Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Illinois DCFS Forms
The CANTS 5 collects:
- The child’s name, date of birth, and address
- The parent or custodian’s name and address if different from the child’s
- A description of injuries or signs: what you observed or were told, when and how it happened, and whether there was previous evidence of abuse or neglect
- Names and addresses of any other witnesses
- Whether you saw the child directly or heard about the situation, whether you told the family about your report, and whether you believe the child is in immediate physical danger
- Your printed name, signature, title, and organization
Mail the original to the nearest DCFS office, addressed to Child Protective Services.8Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Written Confirmation of Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect Report – CANTS 5 Keep the narrative objective. Describe physical marks, behavioral changes, hazardous conditions, or what the child told you. The form asks what you observed, not what you concluded. Illinois law presumes good faith on the part of anyone reporting and provides immunity from civil and criminal liability that might otherwise result from the report.9Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 325 ILCS 5 – Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act
Appealing an Indicated Finding
When a DCFS investigation ends with an “indicated” finding, the person named as the perpetrator receives a notification letter from the State Central Register. That letter opens a 60-day window to appeal in writing. The 60 days runs from the date on the letter, not the date you receive it, and missing the deadline forfeits the right to appeal, with one narrow exception: if a related criminal or juvenile court case is pending, the clock pauses until that case concludes.10Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89 Part 336 – Appeal of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation Findings
What Goes in the Appeal
There is no numbered DCFS form for the appeal itself. The request must be in writing, directed to the person named in your notification letter, and filed in person, by mail, by fax, or by commercial carrier to the DCFS Administrative Hearings Unit, with a postmark inside the 60-day window.10Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89 Part 336 – Appeal of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation Findings Include the State Central Register case number from the notification letter so the agency can match the appeal to the correct file. Explain why the finding does not meet the legal standard for abuse or neglect, and reference supporting evidence: medical evaluations, police reports, witness statements, or any records that contradict the investigator’s conclusion. Keep a copy of everything you send along with the postmarked envelope or fax confirmation. If anyone later disputes whether you filed on time, that proof is your only defense.
Timelines After You File
The DCFS Director must issue a final administrative decision within 90 calendar days of receiving a timely appeal, unless the appellant’s own actions extend that period. The process includes a hearing before an administrative law judge, who issues a recommendation to the Director.10Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89 Part 336 – Appeal of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation Findings
Child care workers get an expedited track that must produce a final decision within 35 calendar days of the agency receiving the request. The pre-hearing conference happens within 14 days, the hearing within 21 days, and the ALJ’s recommendation within 7 days after the hearing.10Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89 Part 336 – Appeal of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation Findings
An appeal will be dismissed if it was filed after the 60-day deadline, if a juvenile or criminal court case involving the same facts is still pending, or if a court has already made a finding of abuse or neglect or issued a criminal conviction based on the same circumstances.10Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89 Part 336 – Appeal of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation Findings A pending court case does not end the right to appeal; it pauses the 60-day clock, which restarts once the court action concludes.
Where to Get the Forms
All current DCFS forms live on the agency’s forms page at dcfs.illinois.gov under the “About Us” section.7Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Illinois DCFS Forms They are organized by prefix (CANTS, CFS, and others), and most are fillable PDFs you can complete on screen before printing or uploading. The DCFS main office is at 406 East Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701.11Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Contact Us Individual forms often route to a specific station number, fax, or email inside the agency, so read the submission instructions printed on the form itself before you send it anywhere.