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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The 1909 White House Conference on Dependent | ||||||
3 | Children stated that every child deserves a stable
and lasting | ||||||
4 | family life and should not be deprived of it except for urgent | ||||||
5 | and compelling reasons; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Once the decision is made to remove children from | ||||||
7 | their homes, the Department of Children and
Family Services has | ||||||
8 | a responsibility and duty to provide them with substitute | ||||||
9 | living arrangements that ensure
that they are safe from | ||||||
10 | additional harm and provide stability; and
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11 | WHEREAS, When children are removed from their homes and | ||||||
12 | then experience placement disruption, it can
lead them to | ||||||
13 | experience profound distress, a sense of loss, and feelings of | ||||||
14 | not belonging - all of which can
lead to distrust and fear of | ||||||
15 | forming secure and healthy relationships; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Children experiencing instability also have a | ||||||
17 | high rate of additional placement disruption, have
greater | ||||||
18 | difficulty finding permanent homes, and experience poorer | ||||||
19 | adult outcomes; and | ||||||
20 | WHEREAS, Evidence links multiple placements with | ||||||
21 | behavioral and mental health problems, educational
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1 | difficulties, and juvenile delinquency; and | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, Children need continuity, consistency, and | ||||||
3 | predictability from their caregivers; and
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4 | WHEREAS, In 2014, 20.7% of children entering substitute | ||||||
5 | care had at least three different placements in their
first | ||||||
6 | year; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Youth who experience minimized placement changes | ||||||
8 | are more likely to experience fewer school
changes, less trauma | ||||||
9 | and distress, less mental health and behavioral problems, | ||||||
10 | increased probabilities for
academic achievement, and | ||||||
11 | experiencing a lasting positive relationship with an adult; | ||||||
12 | therefore, be it
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13 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | ||||||
14 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Department | ||||||
15 | of Children and Family Services to develop a plan, in | ||||||
16 | collaboration
with the private agencies that serve the majority | ||||||
17 | of youth in care, to create a review system for any child in | ||||||
18 | its
care when he or she enters his or her third placement; and | ||||||
19 | be it further
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20 | RESOLVED, That the Department of Children and Family | ||||||
21 | Services shall submit a report no later than December 31, 2017 |
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1 | with its recommendations to
the General Assembly on how this | ||||||
2 | system should be developed and implemented.
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