AAFC NL (InDesign) - Illinois African American Family Commission

2003 Vol. 1
The African-American Family Commission Honors
Foster Parents During “National Foster Care Month”
In recognition of “National Foster Care Month”, and in honor
of the dedicated foster parents who give children a second
chance at having a nurturing family, the African-American
Family Commission held its 4th Annual “Foster Parent of the
Year” reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, May 29,
2003 at the Garfield Park Conservatory. The event attracted
over 200 foster parents, children, providers and friends. Bryan
Samuels, IDCFS Director, helped present awards to foster
parents and participating agencies.
Over 35 statewide child welfare agencies participated in this
event. The criteria for selecting nominees was based on the
following: having provided placement for children for at least
one year; having attended required trainings and meetings;
cooperated with the agency’s staff; and be African American.
Out of numerous responses, the committee selected the
following winners:
Commissioners, Foster Parents, Agency Representatives, and AAFC Staff.
Standing from left
to right: Terry A.
Solomon, Licensed
Foster Parents of
the Year Winners
Richard & Jennifer
Rodriguez, and
IDCFS Director,
Bryan Samuels.
Licensed Foster Parents
Ricky & Lula Summeries Smith
Lakeside Community Committee
Specialized Foster Parents
Lutisha Handy
Allendale Association
Richard & Jennifer Rodriguez
Central Baptist Family Services
Willie & Barb Beasley
Children’s Home Association of Illinois
Unlicensed Foster Parents
Lovie Johnson
Central Baptist Family Services
Co-Sponsoring Agencies
Beatrice Caffrey Youth Services
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago
Lakeside Community Committee
Sankofa Safe Child Initiative
South Central Family Services
Funded By
Illinois Department of Children & Family Services
Standing from left to right:
Terry A. Solomon, Commissioner Carol A. Winn,
Commissioner Dr. Felicia
Blasingame, and Denette
Derezotes.
(Top Row)From
left to right: Hyde
Park Academy High
School Service
Learning Students:
Elena Byrd, Raymond
McClendon, Gregory
James, and Lisa Ann
Berry (Bottom Row)
From left to right:
Terry A. Solomon &
Patricia Solomon,
Service Learning
Coordinator.
AAFC COMMISSIONERS
From left to right: Commissioners Rosetta Webb, Dr. Anthony Sims, Mary Jane Hollis, Dr. Ida Cross-Pruitt, Lula Ford, Renard Jackson, Terry A. Solomon,Senator Emil
Jones, Dr. Vivian Jones, Miller Anderson, Dr. Felicia Y.Blasingame, Judith El-Amin, Robert Blackwell, Jesse D. Madison, Margarite Faulkner, and Dian Powell.
The African-American Family Commission (Commission) is a thirty-member statewide commission appointed
by the Governor of Illinois. The Commission is comprised of community leaders, child welfare professionals,
ministers, parents, business leaders, educators and community activists dedicated to enhancing the welfare of
children and families.
In fiscal year 2003, the governor re-appointed twelve existing Commissioners and appointed fourteen new
Commissioners. On October 9, 2003, the Commission celebrated its extended Commission family by hosting a
reception in their honor. They were presented with certificates of appreciation for their continuous services and
support of the Commission. Senate President, Emil Jones, who was also in attendance, made brief remarks on
behalf of the Commission and its services throughout the community.
Senate President Emil Jones & Terry A. Solomon.
From left to right: Judge Sybil Thomas,
Marie Henderson, & Patricia Solomon.
From left to right: Commissioner Marguerite
Faulkner, Commissioner Dian Powell,
& Annette Johnson.
Standing from left to right: Commissioners
Rosetta Webb, Carol Winn, and Jesse D. Madison.
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STANDBY ADOPTION:
Information for DCFS Adoptive Parents who wish to make a future care
and custody plan for their children
What is standby adoption?
What is short-term guardianship?
Standby adoption is a court-approved arrangement that
provides for a future adoption of your child if needed. You
must have been determined by a physician to be terminally
ill in order to ask the court to appoint a standby adoptive
parent for your child. Standby adoption allows you to
ask the court to appoint a person or persons as standby
adoptive parent(s) of your child, and that person “stands
by” until needed. The standby adoptive parent doesn’t take
custody of your child until: the adoption becomes final;
when you decide that you want the adoption to be final; or
upon your death. In the meantime, you retain all of your
rights as a parent, and custody of your child.
A short-term guardianship is a private legal arrangement
between you and the person you want to take care of
your child. A short-term guardian is not a permanent
arrangement. The person that you appoint as short term
guardian will only have authority to act as guardian for
as long as sixty days. It is very useful if you are going
to be hospitalized, or are entering a residential program
or facility where you will need to be without your
children.
However, those sixty days don’t have to start immediately.
For example, let’s say you are very healthy now, and you
don’t need anyone to take care of your kids today. But
you want to make someone the short-term guardian of
your child just in case you get sick in the future. The law
lets you make exactly this arrangement. You can appoint
someone short term guardian over your child, but that
person will not have any authority to take care of your
child until the day when you are no longer able to care
for your child yourself.
What is standby guardianship?
A standby guardianship is a legal arrangement approved
by a judge that provides future care for your child, but
only if it is needed. It allows you to appoint someone as
the legal guardian of your child, but that person “stands
by” until needed. In other words, the standby guardian
does not take custody of your children immediately, but
at some point in the future when you are no longer able
to take care of your children yourself.
If you are going to be entering a treatment facility where
your children cannot stay with you. You can appoint
someone as short-term guardian over your child as of a
certain date (the date you enter the facility) for up to 60
days. If your stay is longer, then you can sign another
short-term guardianship at the end of that 60-day period,
if that is what you choose to do.
One of three things needs to happen before a standby
guardian would step in: 1) you tell the standby guardian
you are unable to make and carry out day to day child
care decisions; 2) your physician states that you are no
longer able to make and carry out day to day child care
decisions; or 3) upon your death. In this case, the standby
guardian would have the authority of a guardian for 60
days, during which he or she could decide whether to ask
the court to become the child’s permanent guardian. If
the standby guardian decides to become the guardian, the
court will appoint the standby as the permanent guardian
unless it can be shown that it is no longer in the child’s
best interests to do so.
For more information contact:
Linda S. Coon
Attorney at Law
53 W. Jackson Blvd., Ste. 304
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: (312) 786-9255
Fax: (312) 726-9203
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A Guide to Services
Information Provided by the Office of the Secretary of State Department of Senior & Community Services
TOLL-FREE NUMBERS
Crisis Intervention Services
Missing children
1-800-843-5763
Child Abuse/Neglect
1-800-252-2873
Elder Abuse
1-800-252-8966
Auto Safety Hotline
1-800-424-9393
Alcohol Abuse Hotline
1-800-662-4357
Health Issues
Disability Assistance Unit
1-800-637-8856
American Kidney Fund
1-800-638-8299
Poison Control Center
1-800-252-2022
Illinois Emergency Management Agency Specific Health Problems
Illinois AIDS Hotline
1-800-782-7860
1-800-243-2437
Violent Crime Victim’s Clearinghouse
American Council for the Blind
1-800-228-3368
1-800-424-8666
National Runaway Switchboard
America Prevent Blindness
1-800-621-4000
1-800-221-3004
Consumer Issues
American Cancer Society
Auto Safety Hotline
1-800-227-2345
1-800-424-9393
Illinois Dept. of Aging
Senior Help Line
1-800-252-8966
Insurance Issues
Illinois Medicare
1-800-642-6930
Office of Inspector General Hotline
Fraud Issues
1-800-447-8477
Public Assistance/Medicaid/Food
Stamps
Department of Human Services
1-800-252-8635
Consumer Product Safety Commission
1-800-638-2722
Spinabifida Association of America
1-800-621-3141
Public Aid Fraud
1-800-252-8903
Illinois Attorney General, Consumer
Protection Division
1-800-243-0618
Child Watch Hotline
1-312-326-4593
Illinois Attorney General, Senior Citizens
Advocacy
1-800-252-2518
Illinois Attorney General, Consumer
Protection (Chicago)
1-800-386-5438
Energy Hotline, IL Dept. of Commerce
& Community Affairs
1-800-252-8643
Driving/Vehicle Safety
Defense Driving Information
1-888-227-7669 or
1-800-252-2904
Senior Citizens
Illinois Secretary of State, Senior &
Community Services
United Cerebral Palsy
1-800-872-5827
American Diabetes Association
1-800-232-3472
Epilepsy Information Line
1-800-332-1000
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Illinois Dept. of Public Health Nursing
Home Hotline
1-800-252-4343
Governor’s Office Citizen Assistance
1-800-642-3112
Senior Services Core Hotline
1-800-424-8867
Child Watch
Commissioners
Child Watch is a community program developed to
protect children from being abused or neglected. It
was created in February 1996 by the African-American
Family Commission in response to the high number
of children entering the child welfare system. The
Commission’s goal is to assist impoverished families
at risk for child maltreatment. The Child Watch program
is designed as a partnership between citizens, health,
and human service providers, educators, religious and
civic organizations. Meetings were held with community
members and representatives of community-based
organizations to design the program.
Jesse D. Madison
Chair
Rosetta Webb
Co-Chair
Miller R. Anderson
Robert T. Blackwell
Felicia Y. Blasingame, Ed.D.
Joyce P. Bowen, Ph.D.
Laraine E. Bryson
If you know about or suspect child abuse, call the DCFS
hotline at: 1-800-25-ABUSE. If you have any questions
about Child Watch, call the AAFC Help Line :
Bernard M. Clay
Ida E. Cross-Pruitt, Ed.D.
Ted Curtis
(312) 326-4593 or (312) Family 3
Margaret A. Davis
Reverend James L. Demus III
Judith A. El-Amin, A.M., J.D.
Mission Statement
Creasie Finney Hairston, Ph.D.
“The African-American Family
Commission is a statewide
commission appointed by the
governor to advocate for and
develop governmental policies,
plans, and programs for children
and families, by promoting the
preservation of families in order
to strengthen African American
communities throughout the
state of Illinois”
Margarite J. Faulkner
Lula Ford
Reverend James Gordon
Mary Jane Hollis
James C. Jones
Vivian R. Jones, D.D.
Dian Powell
Anthony Sims, Ph.D.
Robert Starks, Ph.D.
Wanda Taylor
Carol A. Winn
David Whittaker
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AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY ADVOCATE
EDITORIAL BOARD:
The African-American Family Advocate
newsletter is published by the
African-American Family Commission
2925 S. Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 326-0368
Fax: (312) 326-1392
TDD: (312) 326-1348
Email: webmail@aafc.org
Website: www.aafc.org
African-American Family Commission
2925 S. Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616