Ammons Calls on POTUS, State Agencies to Adopt Child Protections

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, is calling on Illinois state agencies, the United States Senate, and President Joe Biden to take imperative action on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, which offers protections for the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of minors.

“The Convention on the Rights of the Child includes significant provisions that should be nationally codified, such as preparing children for independent lifestyles, freedom of thought and religion, protection from violence, and access to education,” said Ammons. “By implementing these guidelines, we’re setting up our future generations for equal opportunity, success, and above all — safety.”

The international human rights treaty was established in 1990 and emphasizes the need for government oversight to ensure the best interests of children, which is defined as any person under the age of 18.

Ammons’ House Joint Resolution 46 would urge all agencies in Illinois concerned with the economic opportunity, education, health care, housing, protection, and justice of children to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The resolution would further request Biden to submit the treaty to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for review and for the U.S. Senate to ratify the treaty into law.

“All children should have protected rights no matter who they are, where they live, what language they speak, or what they look like,” said Ammons. “I call on state agencies to do their due diligence in guaranteeing these protections to our youth, who most of the time do not have the resources to speak up on their own. By taking not just local but national action, we’re advocating for children who deserve to grow up in equitable, supportive environments countrywide.”

Ammons filed House Joint Resolution 46 on Feb. 7, and it awaits a hearing before the House Immigration and Human Rights Committee before it will be considered by the full House.

###