COVID-19 Resources
National Federation of Families Home Resources
The National Federation of Families shares resources for parents and caregivers to use at home.
These include educational resources, activities and more that can support families of children and youth who have mental health and substance use needs.
National Federation of Families’ Home Resources
The National Federation of Families shares resources for parents and caregivers to use at home.
These include educational resources, activities and more that can support families of children and youth who have mental health and substance use needs.
Offers emotional support from a trained advocate to help you become an empowered and stronger parent. Parent advocates can list, offer emotional support, help you problem-solve, connect you with local resources, help you explore new resources and more.
The National Parent Helpline is available Monday through Friday from 12 – 9 p.m. at (855) 427-2736 (855-4A PARENT).
Navigating Financial Health During Difficult Times
The National Disability Institute (NDI)’s Financial Resilience Center provides resources and assistance to help those with disabilities and chronic health conditions navigate financially through difficult times, like the COVID-19 crisis. The website features videos and resources on topics including employment and unemployment, public benefits, housing, managing money and Social Security benefits.
NDI’s Financial Resilience Center also includes:
The “Faces of Financial Wellness” video series featuring individuals from Illinois sharing their experiences in Spanish
A financial wellness toolkit in English and Spanish/ Recursos en Español
Videos and financial resources designed for individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearingNick Jr.
Preschool learning games
Nine Tips for Motivating Children to Learn at Home
As families and teachers are struggling to help children learn at home, many children are grappling with motivation, finding it difficult to stay interested in schoolwork without the structure of the
classroom.The American Psychological Association provides these tips to help parents and caregivers foster their children’s motivation to stay engaged in schoolwork.
North Shore Gas Assistance Options
If you cannot pay your energy bill due to financial difficulties, North Shore Gas has flexible payment arrangement plans or energy assistance options that may help.
They also include information about these programs:
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
- Share the Warmth, company- and customer-funded heating grants
Northeast Community Fund in Decatur
Northeast Community Fund helps families in the Decatur and Macon County community with food, clothing, household goods and funding for utility payments, obtaining IDs, baby formula and wipes, emergency lodging and prescription medicines. The organization’s food pantry provides monthly food baskets to those in need. It also operates a microfinance program and a program for families to work with a staff member and mentor to achieve short- and long-term goals to move towards self-sufficiency.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank delivers food and healthy eating services across 13 counties (Boone, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will and Winnebago counties). The Northern Illinois Food Bank provides weekly drive-thru Mobile Markets with free and fresh groceries, an online food pantry, a recipes and nutrition hub, and free economic mobility learning resources.
Northwest Special Recreation Association’s Online Activity Center
The Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA) launched the NWSRA Activity Center to ensure that families have access to free activities, games and other online resources that will enable participants to lead healthy, active lives. The center includes activities, resources, videos and games as well as a program guide for weekly Zoom programs.