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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate recognize
3foster youth and alumni as one of the State's most precious,
4valuable, and vulnerable citizens; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The mission of the Foster Care Alumni of America
6is to connect the alumni community and to transform policy and
7practice, ensuring opportunity for people in and from foster
8care and seeks to serve and act on behalf of the rights, needs,
9and well-being of current and former foster youth; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Foster Care Alumni of America has 17 State
11Chapters; Illinois is the state affiliate of the National
12Foster Care Alumni of America; FCAA-IL has members around the
13State dedicated to the same mission; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Children and Family
15Services protect children who are reported to be abused or
16neglected and to increase their families' capacity to safely
17care for them and provide for the well-being of children in its
18care; provide appropriate and permanent families as quickly as
19possible for those children who cannot safely return home;
20support early intervention and child abuse prevention
21activities; and work in partnerships with communities to
22fulfill this mission; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Children and Family
2Services includes a Statewide Youth Advisory Board whose
3mission is to advocate and educate all youth in care; the
4Statewide Youth Advisory Board is committed to youth
5empowerment, development, leadership, and achievement across
6the State of Illinois; and
 
7    WHEREAS, FCAA-IL, working together with the Department of
8Children and Family Services and their Statewide Youth Advisory
9Board, are proud to host the first Annual Illinois Foster Youth
10and Alumni Legislative Shadow Day on May 4, 2016; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The purpose of this day is to connect current and
12former foster children with a State legislator to educate them
13on the legislative process and spend their day mentoring them,
14help reshape the impression of who youth in foster care and
15alumni of foster care are, and connect legislators to the youth
16that they impact directly and indirectly; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The actions of FCAA-IL Illinois Chapter founding
18members April Curtis, Jeremy Harvey, and James McIntyre, DCFS
19Director George Sheldon, and current and former DCFS Statewide
20Youth Advisory Board members represent shining examples of
21those in our communities doing positive things for foster
22children, past and present, and are responsible for the

 

 

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1creation of the first Annual Illinois Foster Youth and Alumni
2Legislative Shadow Day; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
4ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize May 4,
52016 as the first Annual Illinois Foster Youth and Alumni
6Legislative Shadow Day and the dedication, hard work, and
7significant contributions to the well-being of current and
8former foster children; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
10presented to all participants in recognition of their efforts.