SR0400 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0400 LRB100 12309 MST 24910 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The 1909 White House Conference on Dependent Children stated that every child deserves a stable and lasting family life and should not be deprived of it except for urgent and compelling reasons; and

WHEREAS, Once the decision is made to remove children from their homes, the Department of Children and Family Services has a responsibility and duty to provide them with substitute living arrangements that ensure that they are safe from additional harm and provide stability; and

WHEREAS, When children are removed from their homes and then experience placement disruption, it can lead them to experience profound distress, a sense of loss, and feelings of not belonging - all of which can lead to distrust and fear of forming secure and healthy relationships; and

WHEREAS, Children experiencing instability also have a high rate of additional placement disruption, have greater difficulty finding permanent homes, and experience poorer adult outcomes; and

WHEREAS, Evidence links multiple placements with behavioral and mental health problems, educational difficulties, and juvenile delinquency; and

WHEREAS, Children need continuity, consistency, and predictability from their caregivers; and

WHEREAS, In 2014, 20.7% of children entering substitute care had at least three different placements in their first year; and

WHEREAS, Youth who experience minimized placement changes are more likely to experience fewer school changes, less trauma and distress, less mental health and behavioral problems, increased probabilities for academic achievement, and experiencing a lasting positive relationship with an adult; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Department of Children and Family Services to develop a plan, in collaboration with the private agencies that serve the majority of youth in care, to create a review system for any child in its care when he or she enters his or her third placement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Department of Children and Family Services shall submit a report no later than December 31, 2017 with its recommendations to the General Assembly on how this system should be developed and implemented.