Full Text of HR0605 100th General Assembly
HR0605 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Direct support professionals provide long-term | 3 | | support and services for thousands of children
and adults with | 4 | | intellectual and developmental disabilities in Illinois; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Direct support professionals build close, | 6 | | respectful, and trusted relationships with the
persons they | 7 | | help support and their families; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Direct support professionals provide a broad | 9 | | range of individualized support and
assistance with tasks such | 10 | | as eating, bathing, administering medication, job and life | 11 | | skills training,
money management, meal preparation, and | 12 | | reading, community engagement, and transportation; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Over the past several decades, thousands of | 14 | | individuals with developmental
disabilities have moved from | 15 | | their family homes, foster homes or state institutions into | 16 | | group
homes, where they have been able to achieve more | 17 | | productive and fulfilling lives; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, There is a documented critical and growing | 19 | | shortage of direct support professionals
in Illinois that is | 20 | | directly correlated to low wages that are often below the | 21 | | federal poverty level; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, This staffing crisis gravely impacts the quality | 2 | | of life and personal safety of persons
with disabilities in | 3 | | Illinois; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, In order to continue to enhance the lives of | 5 | | persons with disabilities and their families
who rely on long | 6 | | term supports and services, community providers who employ | 7 | | direct support
professionals must obtain the resources to | 8 | | recruit, train and retain a highly qualified and sustainable
| 9 | | workforce; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Competition is growing for direct support | 11 | | professionals; job opportunities at Walmart, fast food | 12 | | restaurants, retail stores, the new Amazon warehouse, and even | 13 | | at the local donut shop often pay more than what the State pays | 14 | | direct service professionals; in addition, the minimum wage in | 15 | | Chicago is rising well above what the State currently pays | 16 | | direct service professionals; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, The "They Deserve More" coalition is engaged in a | 18 | | statewide effort to address the
staffing crisis affecting | 19 | | services to people with disabilities and their families in | 20 | | Illinois; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, The only solution to this ever-worsening crisis is |
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| 1 | | to increase state funding to provide
a living and competitive | 2 | | wage for direct support professionals; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Illinoisans recognize and celebrate the | 4 | | contributions of direct support professionals
that help | 5 | | strengthen our communities by fostering greater inclusion for | 6 | | persons with disabilities; therefore, be it
| 7 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 8 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 9 | | declare September 11-15, 2017 as "Direct Support Professionals | 10 | | Recognition Week" in the State of Illinois; and be it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That we honor the dedication and vital role of | 12 | | direct support
professionals in enhancing the lives of children | 13 | | and adults with disabilities and their families.
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