General Resources
The Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, Title V of the Social Security Act, is a federal program that aims to improve the health of all women, children and families. Each state has a Title V program that serves children with special health care needs.
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration provides this list of state Title V program contact information.
This series of videos created by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission provide vital information and preparedness messages in American Sign Language (ASL).
Topics include:
Emergency planning
Evacuation
Building a kitToilet Training Children With Special Needs – Early Intervention Clearinghouse
The Early Intervention Clearinghouse (EI) offers books, videos, articles and web resources to help with toilet training your child. This site provides information that can be used for most children, with and without disabilities.
Toilet Training Children with Special Needs – HealthyChildren.org
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ website HealthyChildren.org provides parents of children with disabilities information for determining when to start and how to begin the toilet-training process.
The information includes:
An overview of physical and developmental challenges and how they can impact toilet training
Tips on when and how to begin toilet training
The importance of having a parent support network and focusing on celebrating your child’s overall growth, not the mistakeThis information is also available in Spanish.
TotalLink2 Community provides individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities ages 18 years or older in the north suburbs of Chicago with a wide range of person-centered services to promote employment, independence and strong social connections in the community.
TotalLink provides career and vocational services including job development and placement using Customized Employment, a proven and innovative approach that utilizes skill-based coaching, family coaching, life planning, and educational and recreational opportunities designed to get young adults with disabilities involved in their community and deepen social connections.
Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda
Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois offers a diverse range of camps, retreats, programs and activities for children and adults of all abilities. Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center programs include:
Camp Little Giant summer day camps for children, teens and adults meeting the Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)
Camp BETA for children with type 1 diabetes.
Retreats
Outdoor education
Training and workshopsTransition Timeline
This tool can help you and your child prepare for the many transitions that life brings. It is available in English and Spanish.
Travel Guide for Children with Medical Complexity
Traveling with a child with medical complexity can be challenging. With extra planning, a family vacation can be a memorable and enjoyable experience. This travel guide from the Courageous Parents Network offers practical advice on choosing a location, what and how to pack the medical supplies your child needs, tips for traveling by car and airplane, and what precautions to take should your child have a medical emergency while on vacation.
The guide is available in English and Spanish.
The Tri-State Foodbank partners with southern Illinois agencies to provide food assistance in Alexander, Edwards, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Johnson, Lawrence, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Richland, Saline, Union, Wabash, Wayne and White counties.
For information about program requirements and hours of operation, please contact the partner agencies directly.
TSA Cares is a helpline through the Transportation Security Administration that provides travelers with disabilities, medical conditions and other special circumstances additional assistance during the security screening process.
You can call 72 hours prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. Call (855) 787-2227 or fill out the Request for TSA Cares Assistance.