CHICAGO, Ill. – As Texas Governor Greg Abbott was discussing mental health as part of his concern with Tuesday’s school shooting there, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed two pieces of legislation he says will help the matter here.
The Governor’s office says Pritzker signed measures related to mental health of children in foster care.
One measure will form a Children’s Mental Health Council which is expected to make legislative recommendations, especially as it relates to children and their residential placement needs.
Another measure amends another state law requiring a mental health provider to be assigned to all children in foster care.
“We know the pandemic further exacerbated the mental health challenges our young people were already facing and it is time we take action,” said Pritzker, in a news release. “The Holistic Mental Health Care for Youth in Care Task Force will work to create policies based in real-world, lived experiences to better support our foster youth. To ensure we can also have an immediate impact, each child in foster care will be paired with a mental health professional, so they receive the compassion, investment, and advocacy that they need and deserve. There is nothing more important than caring for our young people and I am proud to sign these two bills into law.”
The state claims one study believes up to 80 percent of children in foster care have what are termed “significant” mental health issues.
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