Social Services

Springfield, IL-State Senator Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest) is a sponsor of a new law that provides an important update to current law that allows parents, who feel they are unable to care for their infant child, to turn them over to personnel at a hospital, fire station or emergency medical facility ensuring they will be properly cared for. 

PEORIA, IL-Illinois has a new law directing the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to develop and advertise a program to help families cope with the extreme hardships that can be caused by a child with a pervasive developmental disorder.

Having a child with a developmental disorder can place an intense burden on a family,” said State Sen. David Koehler (D-Peoria), the legislation’s sponsor in the Illinois Senate.  “In the most extreme cases it can endanger the health of the child or the cohesiveness of the family unit—through no fault of the parents.  In these situations, I believe we should offer some extra help.”

Under the terms of House Bill 30, DCFS will create a new program or tailor existing programs to help families deal with the stresses of caring for a child with a pervasive developmental disability, such as Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.  The goals of this program will be to protect the health and safety of the child.

Families need not be participants in any other DCFS program to be able to qualify, and participation in this program will be strictly voluntary.  Any family that believes the health or safety of their developmentally disabled child is at risk can apply.

The law also requires DCFS to organize a public awareness campaign alerting the general public and health and social service providers about this new program.

“It’s important to make sure people know this service is available,” Koehler said.  “Too often, families struggle alone because they don’t know where they can go to get help.”

[dropcap color=blue cap=J]uly is Elder Abuse Awareness Month here in Illinois. Elder abuse is an important issue that does not receive as much attention as it should. According to the Illinois Department of Aging, the number of elder abuse cases in our state has been on the rise. Their most recent report notes that there were more than 8,000 cases reported in a single year. Even more disturbingly, 76 percent of the abusers were spouses, children or other family members. To see so many cases of abuse in this great state is simply unacceptable. We need to work to end elder abuse. After living long, productive lives, senior citizens are worthy of our respect.

Springfield, IL - Majority Caucus Whip and State Senator Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) is the 2009 recipient of the Carl Suter Award. The Award is given out by the Interagency Committee on Employees with Disabilities (ICED) to those who strive to further the rights and opportunities for Illinois’ disabled citizens.

ICED was created by a statute in 1974 to represent the interests of employees with disabilities in Illinois state government. The Committee advocates for the rights of state employees with disabilities. It also serves as a resource for state agencies on disability-related issues. The Committee achieves its goals through education and legislation. ICED has spent the last couple of years trying to find a solution to disability hiring issues in Illinois.