Children & Family Services
Illinois Department of
www.DCFS.illinois.gov
www.KidsAndCars.org
Presented by
THE LAW: (720 ILCS 5/12-21.6)
Sec. 12-21.6. ENDANGERING THE LIFE OR HEALTH OF A CHILD
(a) It is unlawful for any person to willfully cause or permit the life or health of a child under the age of 18 to be endangered or to willfully cause or permit a child to be placed in circumstances that endanger the child’s life or health, except that it is not unlawful
for a person to relinquish a child in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.
(b) There is a rebuttable presumption that a person committed the offense if he or she left a child 6 years of age or younger unattended in a motor vehicle for more than 10 minutes.
(c) “Unattended” means either: (i) not accompanied by a person 14 years of age or older; or (ii) if accompanied by a person 14 years of age or older, out of sight of that person.
(d) A violation of this Section is a Class A misdemeanor. A second or subsequent violation of this Section is a Class 3 felony. A violation of this Section that is a proximate cause of the death of the child is a Class 3 felony for which a person, if sentenced to a term
of imprisonment, shall be sentenced to a term of not less than 2
NEVER LEAVE A CHILD ALONE
IN THE CAR – IT’S THE LAW.
REPORT ABUSE AND NEGLECT
1.800.25.ABUSE
