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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly
3recognize that foster youth are some of the State's most
4precious, valuable, and vulnerable citizens; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The mission of the Foster Care Alumni of America
6(FCAA) is to connect the alumni community and to transform
7policy and practice, ensuring opportunity for people in and
8from foster care; it seeks to serve and act on behalf of the
9rights, needs, and well-being of current and former foster
10youth; and
 
11    WHEREAS, FCAA-IL is one of 23 state chapters that the FCAA
12has around the country with members dedicated to its mission;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Children and Family
15Services (DCFS) protects children who are abused or neglected
16and tries to help their families safely care for them and
17provide for their well-being; they provide appropriate,
18permanent families as quickly as possible for those children
19who cannot safely return home; they support early intervention
20and child abuse prevention activities, and they work in
21partnerships with communities to fulfill this mission; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The services that DCFS provide include a Statewide
2Youth Advisory Board whose mission is to advocate and educate
3all youth in its care; the Statewide Youth Advisory Board is
4committed to youth empowerment, development, leadership, and
5achievement across the State of Illinois; and
 
6    WHEREAS, FCAA-IL, working together with DCFS and their
7Statewide Youth Advisory Board, are proud to host the second
8Annual Illinois Foster Youth and Alumni Legislative Shadow Day
9on May 10, 2017; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The purpose of this day is to connect current and
11former foster children with a state legislator to educate them
12on the legislative process; the legislators spend their day
13mentoring them and helping reshape the impression of who youth
14in foster care and alumni are; this process connects
15legislators to the youth that they impact directly and
16indirectly; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The actions of founding FCAA-IL members April
18Curtis, Jeremy Harvey, and James McIntyre, DCFS Director George
19Sheldon, and current and former DCFS Statewide Youth Advisory
20Board members represent shining examples of those in our
21communities doing positive things for foster children, past and
22present, and are responsible for the creation of the Annual
23Illinois Foster Youth and Alumni Legislative Shadow Day;

 

 

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1therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
3HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE
4CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize May 10, 2017 as the second
5Annual Illinois Foster Youth and Alumni Legislative Shadow Day
6and the dedication, hard work, and significant contributions to
7the well-being of current and former foster children; and be it
8further
 
9    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
10presented to all participants in recognition of their efforts.