Full Text of HR0492 95th General Assembly
HR0492 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HR0492 |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, In Illinois, over 300,000 children under the age | 3 |
| of 18 are living with and being cared for by more than 100,000 | 4 |
| grandparents; and
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| WHEREAS, Grandparent caregivers, the majority of whom are | 6 |
| single women ranging in age from 30 to 90 with an average | 7 |
| annual income of $15,000 to $25,000 typically raise one to 2 | 8 |
| grandchildren and have been doing so for 5 years or longer; and
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| WHEREAS, Factors contributing to the growing number of | 10 |
| grandparents raising grandchildren include, but are not | 11 |
| limited to, alcohol and drug abuse, neglect, abuse, | 12 |
| abandonment, death of a parent, HIV/AIDS, divorce, | 13 |
| unemployment, poverty, parental incarceration, teen pregnancy, | 14 |
| and welfare reform; and
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| WHEREAS, Many grandparents provide care for children | 16 |
| without legal custody or guardianship; to establish a legal | 17 |
| relationship with the children, the caregiver must institute a | 18 |
| long, costly, and emotionally difficult legal proceeding | 19 |
| against the parents, one of whom is their child; and
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| WHEREAS, Many relatives do not qualify for legal assistance | 21 |
| due to age, income, type of case, or attorney conflict; and
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| WHEREAS, Article X of the Illinois Constitution states that | 2 |
| it is a fundamental goal of the State that every child have the | 3 |
| right to a free public education; and
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| WHEREAS, $11.6 billion was paid in local property taxes to | 5 |
| school districts in 2005; grandparents assuming responsibility | 6 |
| for a child are funding their local schools through property | 7 |
| taxes either paid directly or through their rent; and
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| WHEREAS, Some school districts have required grandparents | 9 |
| to have legal custody or guardianship for regular education | 10 |
| students; in these instances, school districts have | 11 |
| misinterpreted Section 10-20.12b of the School Code, which | 12 |
| gives rights to a non-parent raising a child for whom they do | 13 |
| not have legal custody to register the child in school; | 14 |
| therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 16 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 17 |
| affirm that every child, under the Illinois Constitution, has | 18 |
| the right to a free public education; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the State Superintendent of Education issue | 20 |
| a policy statement, no later than July 1, 2007, to all school | 21 |
| districts in the State clarifying Section 10-20.12b of the |
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| School Code; and be it further | 2 |
| RESOLVED, That the policy statement shall clarify that | 3 |
| legal guardianship is not needed to register a child in school | 4 |
| and that an attestation of residency is sufficient for | 5 |
| registration; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to | 7 |
| the State Superintendent of Education.
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