Illinois Code § 10
Illinois Code § 10. Reproduced from the official Illinois Compiled Statutes, with a citation summary, verification link, and related provisions.
§ 10.
Definitions. In this Act: "Abandon" has the same meaning as in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. "Abused child" has the same meaning as in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. "Child welfare agency" means an Illinois licensed public or private agency that receives a child for the purpose of placing or arranging for the placement of the child in a foster or pre-adoptive family home or other facility for child care, apart from the custody of the child's parents. "Department" or "DCFS" means the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. "Emergency medical facility" means a freestanding emergency center or trauma center, as defined in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. "Emergency medical professional" includes licensed physicians, and any emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician-intermediate, advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic, trauma nurse specialist, and pre-hospital registered nurse, as defined in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. "Fire station" means a fire station within the State with at least one staff person. "Hospital" has the same meaning as in the Hospital Licensing Act. "Legal custody" means the relationship created by a court order in the best interest of a newborn infant that imposes on the infant's custodian the responsibility of physical possession of the infant, the duty to protect, train, and discipline the infant, and the duty to provide the infant with food, shelter, education, and medical care, except as these are limited by parental rights and responsibilities. "Neglected child" has the same meaning as in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. "Newborn infant" means a child who a licensed physician reasonably believes is 30 days old or less at the time the child is initially relinquished to a hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility, and who is not an abused or a neglected child. "Parent" or "biological parent" or "birth parent" means a person who has established maternity or paternity of the newborn infant through genetic testing. "Police station" means a municipal police station, a county sheriff's office, a campus police department located on any college or university owned or controlled by the State or any private college or private university that is not owned or controlled by the State when employees of the campus police department are present, or any of the district headquarters of the Illinois State Police. "Relinquish" means to bring a newborn infant, who a licensed physician reasonably believes is 30 days old or less, to a hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility and to leave the infant with personnel of the facility, if the person leaving the infant does not express an intent to return for the infant or states that the person will not return for the infant. In the case of a person who gives birth to an infant in a hospital, the person's act of leaving that newborn infant at the hospital (i) without expressing an intent to return for the infant or (ii) stating that the person will not return for the infant is not a "relinquishment" under this Act. "Temporary protective custody" means the temporary placement of a newborn infant within a hospital or other medical facility out of the custody of the infant's parent. (Source: P.A. 103-22, eff. 8-8-23; 103-501, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)
Source: official Illinois text · Last verified 2026-08-27
At a glance
- Citation: Illinois Compiled Statutes § 10
- Jurisdiction: Illinois
- Code: Illinois Compiled Statutes
- Text: transcribed from the official source (verify below)
Verify the text
Statute text is transcribed from the official Illinois Compiled Statutes. Confirm it against the primary source before relying on it:
Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed Illinois attorney.
Common questions
What is the source of Illinois Compiled Statutes § 10?
The text above is transcribed from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, the codified statutes of Illinois. The official publisher link appears under "Verify the text" on this page.
What subject does Illinois Compiled Statutes § 10 address?
It addresses the rule set out in the section text. Read the section together with the surrounding provisions listed under "Nearby provisions" for the full picture.
Is Illinois Compiled Statutes § 10 still in force?
Statutes are amended, repealed, and renumbered every session. Confirm the current version at the official Illinois source before relying on this text.
Can this page be used as legal advice?
No. This is a reference transcription for research. Applying Illinois law to your facts requires a licensed Illinois attorney who can review the specifics.