Bill Text: IL SR0802 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Declares April 2024 as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-25 - Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Dale Fowler [SR0802 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SR0802-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, Child abuse and neglect is a major social problem | ||||||
3 | in Illinois; according to the U.S. Department of Health & | ||||||
4 | Human Services Child Maltreatment Report for 2022, 35,330 | ||||||
5 | neglect and maltreatment cases were reported in Illinois in | ||||||
6 | 2022, and 1,955 child fatalities were reported nationally in | ||||||
7 | 2022; and
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8 | WHEREAS, It is estimated that more than 100,000 cases of | ||||||
9 | abuse go unreported each year; the impact of abuse on children | ||||||
10 | manifests itself in various ways; the affected children may | ||||||
11 | experience a range of emotional, psychological, and physical | ||||||
12 | trauma resulting from abuse or neglect; and
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13 | WHEREAS, There are various organizations and agencies | ||||||
14 | devoted to combatting this concern; such groups seek to | ||||||
15 | provide preventative solutions and possible exit strategies to | ||||||
16 | at-risk youth and victimized children; and
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17 | WHEREAS, In 1982, Congress designated June 6-12 as | ||||||
18 | National Child Abuse Prevention Week; the following year, | ||||||
19 | President Ronald Reagan proclaimed April to be the first | ||||||
20 | National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a tradition that | ||||||
21 | continues to this day; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Illinois law requires that mandated reporters, | ||||||
2 | including most professionals employed within education, | ||||||
3 | healthcare, law enforcement, and social work sectors, report | ||||||
4 | suspected child neglect or abuse; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Healthcare professionals and concerned private | ||||||
6 | parties continue to educate parents and raise awareness of | ||||||
7 | child abuse within the State; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Effective preventative measures concerning child | ||||||
9 | abuse succeed because of partnerships created between the | ||||||
10 | courts, social service agencies, schools, religious | ||||||
11 | organizations, law enforcement agencies, businesses, and | ||||||
12 | civilian communities; the establishment of an Illinois Child | ||||||
13 | Abuse Prevention Month would cohesively promote such | ||||||
14 | successful partnerships aiming to eradicate the social ill of | ||||||
15 | child abuse and neglect; and
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16 | WHEREAS, National Child Abuse Prevention Month promotes | ||||||
17 | the social and emotional well-being of children and families | ||||||
18 | and thus serves to acknowledge the importance of community | ||||||
19 | cooperation throughout the nation with respect to the | ||||||
20 | prevention of child abuse and neglect; the institution of an | ||||||
21 | Illinois Child Abuse Prevention Month would functionally | ||||||
22 | reiterate such principles within Illinois and would reinforce | ||||||
23 | Illinois' commitment to educating residents and helping |
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1 | prevent any more children from being subjected to child abuse | ||||||
2 | and neglect; therefore, be it
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