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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, In Illinois, over 300,000 children under the age
3 of 18 are living with and being cared for by more than 100,000
4 grandparents; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Grandparent caregivers, the majority of whom are
6 single women ranging in age from 30 to 90 with an average
7 annual income of $15,000 to $25,000 typically raise one to 2
8 grandchildren and have been doing so for 5 years or longer; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Factors contributing to the growing number of
10 grandparents raising grandchildren include, but are not
11 limited to, alcohol and drug abuse, neglect, abuse,
12 abandonment, death of a parent, HIV/AIDS, divorce,
13 unemployment, poverty, parental incarceration, teen pregnancy,
14 and welfare reform; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Many grandparents provide care for children
16 without legal custody or guardianship; to establish a legal
17 relationship with the children, the caregiver must institute a
18 long, costly, and emotionally difficult legal proceeding
19 against the parents, one of whom is their child; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Many relatives do not qualify for legal assistance
21 due to age, income, type of case, or attorney conflict; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Article X of the Illinois Constitution states that
2 it is a fundamental goal of the State that every child have the
3 right to a free public education; and
 
4     WHEREAS, $11.6 billion was paid in local property taxes to
5 school districts in 2005; grandparents assuming responsibility
6 for a child are funding their local schools through property
7 taxes either paid directly or through their rent; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Some school districts have required grandparents
9 to have legal custody or guardianship for regular education
10 students; in these instances, school districts have
11 misinterpreted Section 10-20.12b of the School Code, which
12 gives rights to a non-parent raising a child for whom they do
13 not have legal custody to register the child in school;
14 therefore, be it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
17 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we affirm that every child,
18 under the Illinois Constitution, has the right to a free public
19 education; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That the State Superintendent of Education issue
21 a policy statement, no later than July 1, 2007, to all school

 

 

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1 districts in the State clarifying Section 10-20.12b of the
2 School Code; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That the policy statement shall clarify that
4 legal guardianship is not needed to register a child in school
5 and that an attestation of residency is sufficient for
6 registration; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to
8 the State Superintendent of Education.