HJ0031 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0031 LRB094 11668 DRJ 43659 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In Illinois, over 200,000 children under the age of 18 are living with and being cared for by more than 100,000 grandparents; and

WHEREAS, Grandparent caregivers, the majority of whom are single women ranging in age from 30 to 90 with an average annual income of $15,000 to $25,000, typically raise one to two grandchildren and have been doing so for five years or longer; and

WHEREAS, Factors contributing to the growing number of grandparents raising grandchildren include, but are not limited to, alcohol and drug abuse, neglect, abuse, abandonment, death of a parent, HIV/AIDS, divorce, unemployment, poverty, parental incarceration, teen pregnancy, and welfare reform; and

WHEREAS, Due to their assumed caregiving responsibilities, many grandparents deplete their savings and retirement income and face severe financial risk and economic strains while struggling to pay for expenses related to caring for the grandchildren such as, but not limited to, food, diapers, clothing, child care, medical treatment, legal assistance, and housing needs; and

WHEREAS, Many grandparents take custody of and raise their grandchildren after a harmful incident has been suffered by their grandchildren that has caused the Department of Children and Family Services to designate them to be "at risk"; and

WHEREAS, Many other grandparents take preventative measures by choosing to take custody of and raise their grandchildren prior to their grandchildren suffering a harmful incident when they recognize that their grandchildren's health, safety, and welfare are at risk; and

WHEREAS, Grandparents who take custody of their grandchildren prior to the grandchildren's suffering of a harmful incident are ineligible for foster care funding and assistance from the Department of Children and Family Services; and

WHEREAS, The only financial assistance option for this group of grandparents is "child only" grants from the Department of Human Services' Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Children and Family Services' foster care program provides monthly financial assistance that is three to four times greater than the TANF "child only" grants, and it also provides counseling and child care support; and

WHEREAS, Grandparents raising grandchildren who are not in the foster care program are as valuable to the grandchildren and to the State as those who are in the foster care program; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Department on Aging, in collaboration with the Departments of Children and Family Services, Public Aid, and Human Services and any other relevant agencies, is directed to complete an assessment of existing State and federal assistance programs that includes the following:

(a) a review of support provided to grandparents through the Department of Children and Family Services' foster care program, KidCare, and other relevant programs;

(b) a review of support provided to grandparents through the Department of Human Services' TANF program and other relevant programs;

(c) a review of all other means of grandparent-related support provided by State-funded and federally funded programs; and

(d) the estimated cost to the State if grandparents were not willing to or refused to take custody of and raise their grandchildren; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Department on Aging, in collaboration with the Departments of Children and Family Services, Public Aid, and Human Services and any other relevant agencies, shall explore new or alternative grandparent assistance methods including, but not limited to:

(a) reviewing the effects to the State of creating a program that would provide monthly supplementary grants, in addition to TANF "child only" grants, to grandparents that would close the funding gap between the foster care program and the TANF "child only" grant program;

(b) assessing the feasibility of funding the monthly supplementary grant program described in the preceding item (a) through a Medicaid waiver;

(c) reviewing the effects to the State of allowing grandparents who voluntarily accept responsibility for their grandchildren prior to the children's entrance into the foster care system to be permitted to enter the foster care program; and

(d) conducting public hearings across the State to gather testimony from grandparents, relatives, and others regarding what assistance they feel they need or would like to have in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Department on Aging shall issue a report highlighting the findings of this Resolution's requirements and recommendations for improving Illinois' assistance to grandparents raising grandchildren to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than July 1, 2006; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of the report be sent to the Directors of Children and Family Services and Public Aid and to the Secretary of Human Services.