SR0088 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0088 LRB097 11028 KTG 51946 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Teen REACH provides over 20,000 youth and parents in over 200 communities throughout the State with out-of-school time programs which have a track record of preventing risky behavior, keeping youth safe, and building essential skills to prepare them for the workforce and for a successful future; and

WHEREAS, Funding for Illinois' Teen REACH programs will be substantially eliminated for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 and the entirety of Fiscal Year 2012 under proposals put forth by the Governor; and

WHEREAS, The elimination of Teen REACH would immediately and drastically reduce quality after-school services throughout the State, leaving 20,000 youth without a safe place to go during out-of-school-time hours; and

WHEREAS, Teen REACH has been independently evaluated and the results chosen for inclusion in the Harvard Family Research Project After-School Evaluation Database; Teen REACH contains key program components recognized as being part of a quality after-school program; the program has a 12-year track record of success and a strong infrastructure, and it is performance-measurement driven and includes detailed program standards, policies and procedures, technical assistance, and compliance monitoring of providers; and

WHEREAS, The Teen REACH program and its service have allowed Illinois to access and leverage other federal dollars for programs supporting youth; and

WHEREAS, Teen REACH is unique in providing a comprehensive array of supports, including academic assistance, life-skills building, mentoring, and job preparation; and

WHEREAS, Teen REACH is a critical support for at-risk youth, primarily those aged 11-17, who confront multiple barriers to success; and

WHEREAS, Teen REACH targets youth facing multiple risks, including neighborhood violence, poverty, a lack of academic support and of the opportunities needed to develop positive life skills and avoid dangerous behavior; earlier surveys revealed that nearly one-third of the Teen REACH youth surveyed were from single-parent homes, and 77% were from low-income families; Teen REACH youth have multiple risk factors including:

(1) living in single-parent households;

(2) residing in households receiving TANF funds;

(3) experiencing academic difficulties;

(4) witnessing or being a victim of family violence;

(5) having siblings who dropped out of school;

(6) having siblings who are teen parents;

(7) having siblings who are involved in the juvenile justice system;

(8) having one or both parents who are incarcerated;

(9) receiving services from DCFS or a partner delivery system;

(10) being obese or otherwise nutritionally at-risk;

(11) having a parent or siblings who are involved with substance abuse; and

WHEREAS, Youth are more likely to become victims of violent crime or use drugs between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and research has shown that crime can decrease with the presence of after-school programs; research indicates that students who spend time in extracurricular activities are less likely to use drugs or become teen parents; substantially eliminating Teen REACH would strip neighborhoods of an important tool for fighting juvenile crime, delinquency, and risky behavior; and

WHEREAS, Such drastic funding and service reductions undermine Public Act 96-1302, in which the General Assembly declares that it is the policy of this State to provide all young people between the ages of 6 and 19 with access to quality after-school programs through a State commitment to sufficient and sustainable funding for programs that promote positive youth development; such drastic funding and service reductions also undermine the State's investments in at-risk youth at earlier stages of their life, by ending services during a critical developmental period when they are most at-risk of dropping out of school or becoming involved in risky behavior; Teen REACH ensures that State investments in early childhood and beyond will be successfully sustained over a child's development through adolescence and into adulthood; and

WHEREAS, Youth engaged in quality after-school activities demonstrate improved academic success and workforce skills compared to youth who do not participate; youth with high levels of participation in quality after-school programs show better achievement in math, reading, and other subjects; studies show they miss fewer days of school, have lower drop-out rates, and higher graduation rates; studies of Teen REACH reveal that over 90% of parents indicate their child is completing homework more often as a result of Teen REACH, and over 80% of parents say their child is more likely to prepare for school projects and tests, has improved their study skills, is more interested in school, is getting better grades, and is a better reader as a result of Teen REACH; and

WHEREAS, The effective elimination of Teen REACH will harm working families and negatively impact the quality of Illinois' workforce as approximately 20,000 families will be forced to find affordable, quality out-of-school alternatives; statewide demand for services already far exceeds current supply, with shortfall estimates between 60% and 70%; 70% of Teen REACH youth surveyed indicated that without Teen REACH, they would not be in an after-school program; low and middle-income parents' job security may also be compromised, as parents may be forced to decide between keeping their-much needed jobs and staying home with their children to ensure they are safe; studies demonstrate that after-school programs are an important work support and are good for business with 54% of parents surveyed by the After-School Corporation saying that after-school programs allowed them to work more hours; it is estimated that decreased employee productivity and increased rates of absenteeism related to concerns for after-school care cost businesses between $496 and $1,984 per employee per year, depending on the employee's salary; and

WHEREAS, The State will incur increased costs due to elimination of quality after-school options, including increased educational and truancy costs, public safety costs within the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and local police departments, and increased public health costs associated with youth substance abuse and teen pregnancy; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Senate deems that these draconian cuts will decimate Illinois' after-school and youth development system; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the drastic reduction of State funding for Teen REACH shall be immediately halted; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution shall be delivered to the Governor and the Secretary of the Department of Human Services.