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I did not write this, received it from concerned adoption community members. Background: The Illinois General Assembly cut $460.4 million from the $1.3 billion DCFS FY 2010 budget. DCFS is being required to make many cuts, including cutting foster parent rates by 50%. Many of the state’s 9,000 foster parents will be unable to continue to feed and clothe their foster children; without specialized supports, foster parents will be unable to maintain their children. Many foster parents will likely begin giving up custody of their children within 90 days DCFS budget cuts will increase worker-to-foster child caseload ratio from its current 15:1 to 50:1; and will reduce foster care residential rates by 18% These cuts will reverse all the progress that Illinois’ child welfare system has made over the past few decades that earned Illinois national recognition for its commitment to children. Illinois stands to lose roughly 100,000 human service employees. Contract reductions will add another layer of job and financial loss. Talking Points If we do not provide this safety net for those who need it the most, we will be creating another generation of homeless youth, disrupted families and mentally unhealthy youth without treatment DCFS is being required to make many cuts that will decimate the child welfare system These cuts will IMMEDIATELY impact child welfare, within the next two weeks What you need to do… Please use any or all of the talking points here, or use your own. BUT PLEASE ACT NOW. 1. Your state representatives need to hear from you immediately. Please contact them in their district offices and let them know how this is going to impact the more than 12,000 children, youth and families that we serve. To get your representative’s phone number, please visit [url=http://www.ilga.gov]Illinois General Assembly Home Page[/url], in the legislator lookup section of the homepage. A phone call or office visit will be much more effective than an eMail or letter. Please FAX all letters, as time is critical! 2. Let the legislative leaders know that these cuts are unacceptable and will only result in greater costs in the future. The four leaders have been periodically meeting with the Governor on the budget. Let them know that eliminating valuable child welfare services is unacceptable and that they need to work NOW to generate the needed revenue to support these services before these programs end. House Speaker Michael Madigan: (773) 581-8000 / House Minority Leader Tom Cross: (815) 254-0000 Senate Pres. John Cullerton: (773) 883-0770 /Sen. Minority Leader Christine Radogno: (630) 243-0800
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