Full Text of SR0307 101st General Assembly
SR0307 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan declared May as National | 3 | | Foster Care Month to recognize the important contributions that | 4 | | foster parents make to society and to the most vulnerable among | 5 | | us by opening their homes to abused and abandoned children; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The number of children in foster care in Illinois | 7 | | has been increasing at an alarming pace; thousands of Illinois | 8 | | children, through no fault of their own, have been separated | 9 | | from their families and are living in foster care; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, The number of foster children in Illinois has | 11 | | reached more than 18,000 and has increased by more than 1,000 | 12 | | over the past four years; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, Children in foster care are of all ages and | 14 | | backgrounds; many of them are accompanied by younger brothers | 15 | | and sisters; they need the comfort, support, and security that | 16 | | only a family can provide; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Many foster children will never be re-united with | 18 | | their biological families; approximately half of foster | 19 | | children will not be returned to their birth families; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Most of the children under care of the State live |
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| 1 | | in temporary situations with either relatives or foster | 2 | | families; some live in professionally-staffed group settings; | 3 | | and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Children deserve the love and security of a home | 5 | | and a 'forever' family; adoption offers stability and better | 6 | | outcomes for children in foster care, allowing them to flourish | 7 | | in a safe, welcoming, and stable environment; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Illinois lags the nation, ranking last among the | 9 | | 50 states, in the permanent placement and adoption of children | 10 | | in its foster care system; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, Illinois is committed to ensuring that children | 12 | | grow up in healthy, safe, and loving homes; therefore, be it
| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 14 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May of 2019 | 15 | | as Foster Care Month in Illinois and urge the Department of | 16 | | Children and Family Services to facilitate and encourage the | 17 | | adoption of children in foster care throughout the State; and | 18 | | be it further
| 19 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 | | presented to the Director of Children and Family Services.
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