E-newsletter sent Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Subject: Action Update: Parental Notification
IMPORTANT: Until further notice, a court decision is preventing the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act from being enforced. Learn more in our November 2009 Tuesday Blast e-newsletter or at the Illinois Bypass Coordination Project website.
Below is the advocacy update e-alert sent on Aug. 11, 2009, before the Cook County Circuit Court's temporary restraining order in November.
PARENTAL NOTIFICATION FOR ABORTION
What it means for Illinois Women--and what you can do
 Last Tuesday, Aug. 4, a law went into effect in Illinois requiring "parental notification" before a woman under 18 receives abortion services.
This hurdle to accessing health care warrants action. Read on for our grantees' perspectives, volunteer opportunities, a chance to speak out this Thursday, and online resources to learn more.
Where did this law come from? How does it work?
The Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 had been dormant, due to legal injunctions put into place by the ACLU of Illinois, until July 14 of this year. That's when the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law, as well as the state Supreme Court's rules setting up judicial procedures for an expedited bypass hearing, satisfy minors' constitutional rights to the procedure. In other words, the court said young women would be able to get permission quickly to bypass the parental notice requirement, which overturned injunctions against the law.
Illinois' parental notice "creates unnecessary, dangerous hurdles to  accessing essential health care for young women facing an unintended pregnancy," says Lorie Chaiten (right), the Reproductive Rights Project director for the ACLU of Illinois.
As of Aug. 4, before providing an abortion to a woman under age 18, the abortion provider must give at least 48 hours' notice to an adult family member—a parent, step-parent living in the same house, grandparent or legal guardian. Consent is not required. There is another way to comply with the notice law in certain circumstances. This "judicial bypass" process is available to young women throughout the state in the Illinois circuit courts.
The Illinois Bypass Coordination Project has more information about parental notification and the judicial alternative for complying with the law. Visit their website or call 877.44.BYPASS (877.442.9727) or text 312.560.6607. You can also keep up-to-date with the project on Facebook and MySpace.
What are Foundation grantees and partners doing?
Abortion providers and advocates have been hard at work preparing for this law to take effect and are 100% committed to following it. Planned Parenthood of Illinois has conducted trainings statewide, and an info session in Chicago was co-hosted by Chicago Girls' Coalition, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and ACLU of Illinois.
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health's executive director, Soo Ji Min, wrote an excellent op-ed on parental notification in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Last week, ICAH also hosted its annual Action Out Loud! weeklong activist training camp for youth ages 14-20, which included information on parental notification. Pictured below are Nathalie, age 17, Fernando, age 18  and Maria, age 15, writing letters to their legislators about parental notification as part of Action Out Loud!. Here is one excerpt from a letter (read more on ICAH's website):
"I believe that this Act should be changed because most young women under the age of 18 in my community can't get notification from their mom, dad, or grandparent because there are other things going on in their lives such as other siblings and disappointment. Over 90% of young women getting abortions are telling their parents, but this Act affects the 10% who can't. I personally know someone that can't go to her mom because her mom will kick her out of the house."
—Brianna, age 15, Chicago
 Chicago Abortion Fund hosts a monthly call-in show about reproductive choice and access on CAN-TV. On July 29, the show discussed parental notification. Watch the 30-minute show on YouTube.
What can I do?
SPEAK OUT
This Thursday, Aug. 13, Black Women for Reproductive Justice hosts an Illinois Raising Women's Voices Speakout on health reform: 6-8:30 p.m. at the Better Boys Foundation, 1512 S. Pulaski in Chicago. If you want to share your story, contact Cherisse Scott in advance at cscott@bwrj.org or (773) 955-2709.
VOLUNTEER
The Illinois Judicial Bypass Coordination Project needs volunteers for two projects. When you call, please mention you heard about these opportunities from Chicago Foundation for Women.
1. Answering hotline calls
 Volunteers are needed to work 3-hour shifts from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, at the ACLU of Illinois at 180 N. Michigan Ave. There will be a training for intake volunteers from 5:30-7:30 p.m. this Wednesday, Aug. 12 at the ACLU. To sign up or learn more, contact Kelly Kleiman at KellyNFP@yahoo.com or (773) 503-9264.
2. Pro-bono attorneys for judicial bypass
Attorneys across the state (especially in central and southern Illinois) are needed to represent young women during judicial bypass hearings. To volunteer, call the ACLU of Illinois at 312.201.9740 and ask for Leah Bartelt or email judicialbypass@aclu-il.org.
CONNECT THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS
ACLU of Illinois
Black Women for Reproductive Justice
Chicago Abortion Fund
Chicago Foundation for Women
Chicago Girls' Coalition
Illinois Bypass Coordination Project
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
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Did you know...
35 states mandate parental involvement in a minor's decision to have an abortion, the Guttmacher Institute says. This includes notice and/or consent. (As of Aug. 1, 2009.)
The American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and American Academy of Pediatrics all oppose parental involvement based on the health risks to young women.
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ACLU of Illinois - Young Advocates
Chicago Abortion Fund
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
Planned Parenthood Illinois
@ChiFdn4Women - Chicago Foundation for Women
@ICAH - Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
@PPIAction - Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
Chicago Abortion Fund
Chicago Foundation for Women
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
 GIVE TO THE CATALYST FUND
In 2008, Chicago Foundation for Women awarded its first grants from the Catalyst Fund to Chicago-area reproductive justice projects led by women of color. Our six grassroots grantees (including Black Women for Reproductive Justice, Chicago Abortion Fund and Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health) represent diverse communities, issue areas and advocacy strategies. To keep our Catalyst Fund moving in 2009, we must raise $100,000 to match the Tides Foundation's challenge grant. Every dollar helps: donate online now or call (312) 577-2801.
SHARE THIS EMAIL
Forward this email or share this link with your social networks: www.cfw.org/parentalnotice
Special thanks to Sara Meza, the Foundation's information systems manager, for her thumbs-down (photo at top of email).
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