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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, According to the 2005 American Community Survey,
3 over 12 million people lived in Illinois; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Of the people living in Illinois, 72 percent are
5 White, 15 percent are African-American, 4 percent are Asian,
6 and 9 percent are of Other Races; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Of the citizens in Illinois, 15 percent are of
8 Hispanic or Latino origin and 85 percent are not of Hispanic or
9 Latino origin; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Seven percent of the population is under 5 years
11 of age, 19 percent is between 5 and 17 years of age, 58 percent
12 is between 18 and 64 years of age, and 16 percent of the
13 population is 65 years of age or older; and
 
14     WHEREAS, There are 3,229,558 children under 18 years of age
15 living in households in Illinois; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Of the children living in Illinois, 65 percent are
17 White, 18 percent are African-American, 4 percent are Asian,
18 and 13 percent are Other Races; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Of the children in Illinois, 20 percent are of

 

 

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1 Hispanic or Latino origin and 80 percent are not Hispanic or
2 Latino; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Eighty-eight percent of children live in the same
4 household as their parents, seven percent live with
5 grandparents, three percent live with other relatives, and two
6 percent live with unrelated foster parents; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Of the 4,691,020 households in Illinois, 50
8 percent are defined as married-couple family household, four
9 percent are defined as male householder - no wife present, 13
10 percent are defined as female householder - no husband present,
11 and 33 percent are defined as non-family household; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Eight percent of children who live in
13 married-couple family households received public assistance in
14 the past 12 months; 21 percent of children who live in male
15 householder - no wife present family households received public
16 assistance in the past 12 months; and 43% of children who live
17 in female householder - no husband present family household
18 received public assistance in the past 12 months; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Of the low-income households in Illinois, 78
20 percent experienced housing problems; and 23% of White
21 households experienced housing problems compared to 42 percent
22 of African-American households and 53 percent of Hispanic

 

 

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1 households; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Examination of educational achievement for
3 Illinois residents 25 years and older reveals that 15 percent
4 have achieved less than a high school diploma, 28 percent
5 graduated from high school, 28 percent attended college or
6 received an associated degree, 18 percent received a bachelor's
7 degree, and 11 percent have attained a graduate degree or
8 higher or professional degree; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Fifty-four percent of low-income households pay
10 more than 50 percent of their household income for housing; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Over 44,000 adults are in prison, and 94 percent
12 are male and six percent are female; 60 percent are
13 African-American, 11 percent are Hispanic, and 28 percent are
14 White; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Of the more than 1,400 juveniles in prison, 92
16 percent are male and eight percent are female; and 54 percent
17 are African-American, 11 percent are Hispanic, and 34 percent
18 are White; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Children reared by single parents are more likely
20 to drop out of high school, commit criminal acts, and become
21 homeless; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Since 2002, over 26,000 children per year are
2 indicated for abuse or neglect and are living with parents more
3 likely to be identified as the perpetrator; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The socioeconomic status of the parents affects
5 the risk of children experiencing violent acts, growing up in
6 violent communities, and not having access to a quality
7 education or affordable and quality health care; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Families are under stress and are increasingly
9 unable to protect or provide for their children; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Family violence, including domestic violence,
11 negatively affects children's emotional and psychological
12 well-being; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Families living below poverty and middle income
14 earners are more likely to become homeless as there is a severe
15 shortage of affordable housing; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The family is the primary institution for caring
17 and providing for the emotional, physical, and social
18 well-being of children and assuring that they receive the moral
19 guidance and social skills to successfully reach their
20 potential and contribute as citizens; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Many children live in communities where food
2 deserts exist - they are unable to access healthy food; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Children living in some urban communities are
4 frequently exposed to different levels of assorted toxic
5 chemicals both inside and outside the home; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Low-income children and their parents are less
7 likely to have access to quality health care, less likely to
8 have incomes to secure safe and affordable housing, and less
9 likely to have community schools with certified teachers than
10 affluent families; and
 
11     WHEREAS, There is a relationship between child well-being,
12 family well-being, and a community's social and economic
13 strength; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Parents are primarily responsible for instilling
15 in their children moral, community, civic, and social
16 responsibility; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Community institutions, agencies, and
18 organizations have a moral and social responsibility to assist
19 their members in achieving optimal well-being; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
2 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
3 CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Parents and
4 Community Accountability Study Committee, hereafter referred
5 to as the Committee, consisting of 29 members appointed as
6 follows:
7         (1) Three members appointed by the President of the
8     Senate;
9         (2) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the
10     Senate;
11         (3) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House
12     of Representatives;
13         (4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the
14     House of Representatives;
15         (5) One member of the Governor's staff appointed by the
16     Governor;
17         (6) Two members appointed by the Chair of the Illinois
18     African-American Family Commission;
19         (7) Two members appointed by the Joint Chair of an
20     association that represents Illinois African American
21     legislators;
22         (8) One member appointed by the Chair of the Illinois
23     Prisoner Review Board;
24         (9) One member from each of the following State
25     agencies appointed by their respective heads: Department
26     of Children and Family Services, Department of Human

 

 

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1     Services, Department on Aging, Illinois State Board of
2     Education, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of
3     Healthcare and Family Services, and Department of
4     Corrections; and
5         (10) Six public members representing the interests of
6     child welfare advocates, public health researchers, the
7     general public, the formerly incarcerated, faith-based
8     community, and court personnel - each appointed by the
9     Governor; and be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That the Department of Human Services in
11 conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services
12 shall provide staff and administrative support to the
13 Committee; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That the Committee shall examine issues related
15 to racial and socioeconomic disparities affecting the
16 pro-social development of children and youth; shall identify
17 ways to engage more parents in being accountable for the
18 actions of their children; and shall identify ways to engage
19 more communities in being accountable for investing in
20 pro-social development of children and families; the Committee
21 shall also research the types of supports needed to help
22 parents develop the necessary skills to ensure that their
23 children achieve positive youth development and to reduce
24 factors that lead to violence in the community, home, and

 

 

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1 school; the Committee shall also study what systems are needed
2 to assist communities to reinvest in and support children and
3 families; and be it further
 
4     RESOLVED, That the Committee shall hold public hearings in
5 every Legislative District it deems necessary and present a
6 report of its findings and recommendations to the 96th General
7 Assembly before June 30, 2010.