Park District Hopes Child Labor Law Change Will Reopen Door For Hiring 15-Year-Olds – Journal & Topics Newspapers Online

Park Ridge Park District Considers Hiring 15-Year-Olds

Introduction

The Park Ridge Park District is considering the possibility of hiring 15-year-olds, pending the approval of an amendment to the state child labor law. This article will discuss the recent developments and the potential impact on the park district.

Background

In July 2024, the Illinois General Assembly passed a child labor law overhaul, which included a requirement that employees under the age of 16 must always be supervised by someone who is at least 21 years old. This change came into effect at the beginning of this year.

Previous Decision

In October 2024, Alison Reicher, the park district’s human resources director, informed the park district board of commissioners that they could not guarantee compliance with the new requirement. As a result, they decided not to hire 15-year-olds.

New Amendment

During the recent park board meeting on January 16, Reicher announced that an amendment allowing supervisors to be 18 or older had cleared the House of Representatives the previous week. This amendment would make it easier for the park district to fulfill the supervision requirement.

Potential Impact

If the amendment passes the Senate, it will be up to Governor JB Pritzker to sign, veto, or take no action on the bill. If the governor takes no action, the bill will become law after 60 days. Reicher mentioned that the process could take up to 90 days, meaning the park district may not have clarity on the matter until April.

Next Steps

Reicher stated that the park district will begin posting job listings earlier, but they can make changes if necessary based on the outcome of the amendment.

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SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
   • Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group (in accordance with the International Labor Organization definition of child labor).

The article discusses the child labor law in Illinois and the potential amendment that would allow the Park Ridge Park District to hire 15-year-olds. This issue is directly connected to SDG 8, which aims to promote decent work and economic growth. Specifically, Target 8.7 focuses on eradicating child labor, including the worst forms of child labor.

The specific target identified in the article is Target 8.7, which calls for the eradication of child labor. The article highlights the amendment to the child labor law that would allow the park district to hire 15-year-olds, indicating efforts to address this target.

The article does not mention any specific indicators related to Target 8.7. However, Indicator 8.7.1, which measures the proportion and number of children engaged in child labor, can be used to track progress towards eradicating child labor. This indicator could be relevant in assessing the impact of the amendment on reducing child labor in the park district.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: journal-topics.com