Family and Caregiving Support Resources
Catholic Charities Social Services Archdiocese of Chicago
Catholic Charities Social Services Archdiocese of Chicago provides help including homelessness prevention, food and basic needs, and crisis assistance. needshelp and crisis services. It also connects people to other organizations that can help with emergency assistance in Chicago, suburban Cook County and Lake County. Services include:
Burial and funeral assistance
Case management services
Emergency rental assistance
Utility assistance
Emergency shelter services
Stabilization services (pharmaceutical assistance, transportation assistance, clothing vouchers)The organization also provides family support programs, including child care and pregnancy and parenting support services, domestic violence support, behavioral health programs, and immigrant and refugee support.
CDC’s Developmental Milestones for Children
From birth to age 5, your child should reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act and move.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides developmental milestones checklists to help track your child’s development and act early if you have a concern.
The CDC also has a free Milestone Tracker App with photos and videos that illustrate each developmental milestone. You can use the app to track your child’s development and find out what to do if you have concerns.
Center for Disability and Elder Law
The Center for Disability and Elder Law (CDEL) provides free legal services to low-income seniors and people with disabilities throughout Cook County. CDEL offers programs and appointments at community sites on matters including:
Adult guardianship
Financial and housing stability
Estate and end-of-life planning
DivorceCenter for Parent Information and Resources (formerly NICHCY)
The Center for Parent Information and Resources is a national information and referral center on disabilities and related issues (formerly the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities or NICHCY). Information is available in Spanish also.
Center for Prevention of Abuse
Center for Prevention of Abuse’s mission is to help all people – women, men, and children – to live free from violence and abuse.
The center provides services for domestic violence, sexual abuse/assault, human trafficking, adult protective services and prevention education. Its crisis hotline is available 24/7 at (800) 559-SAFE (7233).
The Center of Concern is a non-profit social service agency providing housing solutions, support services and counselors for individuals with disabilities, older adults and others in need in Cook County, enabling them to live safely and independently.
Central Illinois Down Syndrome Organization
The Central Illinois Down Syndrome Organization (CIDSO) offers support, events and educational resources for families in McLean County who have loved ones with Down syndrome.
Central Illinois LGBTQ+ Organizations
The University of Illinois Springfield’s Gender and Sexuality Student Services provides a list of advocacy and community groups in central Illinois for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, plus (LGBTQ+) youth.
Cerebral Palsy Research Network
The Cerebral Palsy Research Network aims to optimize the lifelong health and wellness of people with cerebral palsy (CP) and their families through high-quality research, education and community programming.
The Cerebral Palsy Research Network website includes educational resources for the entire CP community to inform healthcare decisions, including a CP tool kit and a well-being guide for parents and caregivers.
Champaign County Down Syndrome Network
The Champaign County Down Syndrome Network (DSN) provides information and support to families who have members with Down syndrome in Champaign County and east-central Illinois.
DSN serves new parents, professionals and the general public to promote Down syndrome awareness and acceptance year-round.