Clergy as Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect - Illinois

The Requirement for Clergy to Report 

Citation: Comp. Stat. Ch. 325, § 5/4

Any member of the clergy having reasonable cause to believe that a child known to them in their professional capacity may be an abused child as defined by law shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the Department of Children and Family Services.

Whenever a person is required to report under this act in their capacity as a member of the clergy, they shall make a report immediately to the department in accordance with the provisions of this act. They also may notify the person in charge of the church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other religious institution, or their designated agent, that such a report has been made. Under no circumstances shall any person in charge of the church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other religious institution, or their designated agent to whom such notification is made, exercise any control, restraint, modification, or other change in the report or the forwarding of the report to the department.

A member of the clergy may claim the privilege under § 8-803 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Privileged Communications

Citation: Comp. Stat. Ch. 735, § 5/8-803

A member of the clergy or practitioner of any religious denomination accredited by the religious body to which they belong shall not be compelled to disclose in any court, or to any administrative body or agency, or to any public officer, a confession or admission made to them in their professional character or as a spiritual advisor in the course of the discipline enjoined by the rules or practice of such religious body or of the religion that they profess, nor be compelled to divulge any information that has been obtained by them in such professional character or such spiritual advisor.