1.4 - Records

1.4.1 - Retention of Records

1. Administrative - The following administrative records shall be maintained by the Local Agency for a period of three years:
   1. All financial record of expenditures, third-party reimbursements, and other project income
   2. An inventory record of all equipment purchased from project funds including (listing shall be cumulative and updated annually):
      1. A description of the item.
      2. Inventory identification (I.D.) number. This can be a manufacturer's serial number or another I.D. number, but it must be permanently affixed to the item.
      3. Acquisition date and cost
      4. From whom purchased
      5. Location and condition of the item. No property can be disposed of without prior written authorization of the Chief of the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. Upon termination of a project, the equipment becomes the property of the Illinois Department of Human Services.
   3. Personnel records for all project staff
   4. Statistical information derived from project activities
2. Client Records
   1. One record containing the appropriate information relative to that person's care shall be maintained on each client.
   2. A record shall be maintained on each individual registered in the project. The record should be designed to accommodate entries by each discipline providing services for that project. Documentation showing preauthorization of services purchased by the project shall be maintained as a part of the individual's client record. All services provided to a particular client by each discipline must be easily reviewable by the other disciplines.
   3. The record shall by useful as an administrative and health management tool.
   4. Client records are to be maintained for a minimum of three (3) years from the date of case closure in Cornerstone.

1.4.2 - Destruction of Records

1. Program records that contain client data must be destroyed by incineration or shredding.
2. Disposal of records intact to a landfill or through a disposal service is not appropriate.
3. The Local Records Act regulates the destruction and preservation of public records within the State of Illinois. It mandates the Secretary of State, who is named the local records advisor, to assist local governments in implementation of the Act. This Act defines record material, explains the rights to public access of information, and sets standards for record keeping and microfilming. Additionally, the Act provides for the existence of a six-member Local Records Commission which regulates the disposal of local records and specifically forbids local officials from disposing of any public record without first obtaining their written approval.
4. Depending upon the local agency's status as a legal entity, the agency may be required to comply with both state and federal guidelines for destruction of records. Agencies which must comply with both state and federal requirements, are those that fall under the auspices of the Local Records Act. The Act defines an "agency" as "any court, and all parts, boards, departments, bureaus and commissions of any county, municipal corporation or political subdivision."