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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, First responders, such as firefighters, emergency | ||||||
| 3 | medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, and police officers, | ||||||
| 4 | endure countless dangers and struggles day-to-day while | ||||||
| 5 | serving their communities and providing lifesaving Emergency | ||||||
| 6 | Medical Services (EMS); and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Families and children of these brave individuals | ||||||
| 8 | encounter their own day-to-day battles, often stemming from a | ||||||
| 9 | lack of stability and concerns regarding their family member's | ||||||
| 10 | safety while on the job; and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, According to the First Responders Children's | ||||||
| 12 | Foundation (FRCF), data has shown that children of first | ||||||
| 13 | responders experience considerable stress on a daily basis in | ||||||
| 14 | relation to their parents' jobs; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, In an article titled "Children of First | ||||||
| 16 | Responders Need Our Help", FRCF President and CEO Jillian | ||||||
| 17 | Crane attests that children of first responders face daunting | ||||||
| 18 | mental wellness challenges, including separation anxiety, fear | ||||||
| 19 | for parents, consistent worrying, and social isolation, among | ||||||
| 20 | others; and | ||||||
| 21 | WHEREAS, When a parent is gone inconsistently, especially | ||||||
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| 1 | during important moments of a child's development, said child | ||||||
| 2 | may experience feelings of abandonment; strong parental bonds | ||||||
| 3 | are important to the lives and mental health of children and | ||||||
| 4 | teenagers; when these bonds are weakened due to inconsistency, | ||||||
| 5 | children may find it exceedingly difficult to establish strong | ||||||
| 6 | bonds with parents, peers, other family members, or authority | ||||||
| 7 | figures, potentially stunting their development as they reach | ||||||
| 8 | adolescence; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Families and children of first responders, | ||||||
| 10 | through the commemoration of a day of unity focused on their | ||||||
| 11 | community and their particular struggles, have the opportunity | ||||||
| 12 | to combat social isolation while finding strength in one | ||||||
| 13 | another; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 15 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 16 | we declare June 1, 2024 as Unity for Children of First | ||||||
| 17 | Responders Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further | ||||||
| 18 | RESOLVED, That we recognize the sacrifices made by | ||||||
| 19 | families and children of first responders; and be it further | ||||||
| 20 | RESOLVED, That we recognize Yanna M. Davenport for her | ||||||
| 21 | efforts to make Unity for Children of First Responders Day a | ||||||
| 22 | national event; and be it further | ||||||
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 2 | presented to Yanna Davenport as a symbol of our respect and | ||||||
| 3 | esteem. | ||||||