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CWEL & CANS ACTUAL EXAM PREP 2026
ALL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS ALREADY A GRADED
WITH EXPERT FEEDBACK |NEW AND
REVISED
Who needs a child welfare license? - ANSWER- Anyone who works in
child welfare in Illinois
3 outcomes - ANSWER- safety, permanency, well-being
Safety - ANSWER- Status when an assessment of available information
supports the belief that a child is not in immediate danger of moderate to
severe harm
Permanency - ANSWER- A continuous living arrangement designed to
meet a child's needs, increases his/her sense of emotional well-being,
and establish legal bonds to a place and family
Orphan Train - ANSWER- Placed 150,000 poor/orphan children from
eastern cities with Midwest farm families
Some of these children became members of these families, but many
were valued only as farm laborers
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DCFS Mission Statement - ANSWER- -Protect children who are
reported to be abused or neglected and to increase their families capacity
to safely care for them
-Provide for the well-being of children in our care
-Provide appropriate, permanent families as quickly as possible for those
children who cannot safely return home
-Support early intervention and child abuse prevention services
-Work in partnership with communities to fulfill this mission
Dual Mandate - ANSWER- Protect Children and Strengthen/Preserve
families
Federal Laws:
Social Security Act - ANSWER- system of old-age benefits for workers,
benefits for victims of industrial accidents, unemployment insurance, aid
for dependent mothers and children, the blind, and the physically
handicapped.
Social Security Title IV-B - ANSWER- Requires federal funding for
family support services
Social Security Title IV-E - ANSWER- Amends the SSA to include
adoption assistance and child welfare funding and requires responsible
efforts to keep children from entering care
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Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) - ANSWER- Addresses the best
interests of Native American Children to preserve their generational and
tribal ties
Inter-Ethnic Placement Act (IEPA) - ANSWER- Prohibits any
consideration of a child's race or ethnicity as a factor in deciding which
permanent placement will be in their best interest
Adoption and safe families act (ASFA) - ANSWER- Amends title IV-E
to require efforts to move a child to permanency, requiring judicial
permanency hearing for children no later than 12 months after the child
enters child care
Fostering connections to success and increasing adoptions act of 2008 -
ANSWER- extends assistance of youth to 21
requires that a transition plan be developed with youth and he/she ages
out of foster care
State Laws:
Children and Family services act - ANSWER- specifies the general
duties and responsibilities of DCFS
Abused and Neglected Child Reporting act (ANCRA) - ANSWER-
Guides the day by day work of child professionals in Illinois
Defines abuse, neglect, how to report allegations, mandated reporters,
how to accept and investigate reports and provide follow up services
CWEL & CANS ACTUAL EXAM PREP 2026
ALL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS ALREADY A GRADED
WITH EXPERT FEEDBACK |NEW AND
REVISED
Who needs a child welfare license? - ANSWER- Anyone who works in
child welfare in Illinois
3 outcomes - ANSWER- safety, permanency, well-being
Safety - ANSWER- Status when an assessment of available information
supports the belief that a child is not in immediate danger of moderate to
severe harm
Permanency - ANSWER- A continuous living arrangement designed to
meet a child's needs, increases his/her sense of emotional well-being,
and establish legal bonds to a place and family
Orphan Train - ANSWER- Placed 150,000 poor/orphan children from
eastern cities with Midwest farm families
Some of these children became members of these families, but many
were valued only as farm laborers
,2|Page
DCFS Mission Statement - ANSWER- -Protect children who are
reported to be abused or neglected and to increase their families capacity
to safely care for them
-Provide for the well-being of children in our care
-Provide appropriate, permanent families as quickly as possible for those
children who cannot safely return home
-Support early intervention and child abuse prevention services
-Work in partnership with communities to fulfill this mission
Dual Mandate - ANSWER- Protect Children and Strengthen/Preserve
families
Federal Laws:
Social Security Act - ANSWER- system of old-age benefits for workers,
benefits for victims of industrial accidents, unemployment insurance, aid
for dependent mothers and children, the blind, and the physically
handicapped.
Social Security Title IV-B - ANSWER- Requires federal funding for
family support services
Social Security Title IV-E - ANSWER- Amends the SSA to include
adoption assistance and child welfare funding and requires responsible
efforts to keep children from entering care
, 3|Page
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) - ANSWER- Addresses the best
interests of Native American Children to preserve their generational and
tribal ties
Inter-Ethnic Placement Act (IEPA) - ANSWER- Prohibits any
consideration of a child's race or ethnicity as a factor in deciding which
permanent placement will be in their best interest
Adoption and safe families act (ASFA) - ANSWER- Amends title IV-E
to require efforts to move a child to permanency, requiring judicial
permanency hearing for children no later than 12 months after the child
enters child care
Fostering connections to success and increasing adoptions act of 2008 -
ANSWER- extends assistance of youth to 21
requires that a transition plan be developed with youth and he/she ages
out of foster care
State Laws:
Children and Family services act - ANSWER- specifies the general
duties and responsibilities of DCFS
Abused and Neglected Child Reporting act (ANCRA) - ANSWER-
Guides the day by day work of child professionals in Illinois
Defines abuse, neglect, how to report allegations, mandated reporters,
how to accept and investigate reports and provide follow up services
