HR1121 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1121 LRB096 21904 KXB 39924 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The island nation of Haiti is steeped in a rich culture and history; on January 12, 2010, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, with its epicenter just outside the capital and population center of Port-au-Prince; and

WHEREAS, The Haitian government has confirmed a death toll of more than 230,000 persons as a result of the disaster; and

WHEREAS, Following the catastrophic damage to their villages and cities, many of the earthquake survivors now live in tent cities and are more vulnerable than ever to epidemics of infectious disease, particularly with the region's rainy season approaching; and

WHEREAS, Due to many factors, including the already-extreme poverty of the nation, thousands of Haitian children had been provably and legally abandoned and relinquished to the Haitian government by their parents prior to the devastation of that January day; and

WHEREAS, These children, known as "Category 3" orphans, are officially confirmed as orphans eligible for intercountry adoption but do not meet the specific criteria outlined by the United States Department of Homeland Security that would allow them to enter the United States; and

WHEREAS, An additional unknown number of "Category 2" orphans--those children who are both eligible for intercountry adoption and matched with American adoptive parents prior to January 12, 2010--have yet to be allowed to join their new families in the United States; and

WHEREAS, At least twenty-one orphans are destined for families in the United States, though their adoptions have since been mired in unfortunate bureaucracy; and

WHEREAS, Twelve of these children remain in diplomatic limbo in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania facility, while at least nine remain at the God's Littlest Angels orphanage near Port-au-Prince, run by Dixie Bickel of Clinton, Illinois; and

WHEREAS, In 2007, the United Nations Children's Fund numbered the orphan population of Haiti at more than 380,000 children; following the earthquake, some organizations estimate that number to have more than tripled; and

WHEREAS, Whatever the number of orphans, there are families in Illinois and throughout the United States who are ready, willing, and able to welcome these provably abandoned children into loving homes; and

WHEREAS, Every provably abandoned child who is taken into a home within the United States dramatically reduces the strain on the post-earthquake relief efforts in Haiti; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we remember the victims and survivors of the Haiti earthquake disaster; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we implore the United States government to expedite the approval of "Category 2" and "Category 3" orphans so that the children who are in need of loving homes may find them quickly and safely; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we applaud the efforts of organizations such as God's littlest Angels orphanage, that are so dedicated to important relief work in Haiti, and we call on all Illinois citizens to support such organizations in whatever capacity they are able; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn; Hillary Clinton, United States Secretary of State; Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services; Julie Hamos, Director of the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Illinois congressional delegation.