Medical/Health and Wellness Resources
The Sunshine Foundation helps make dreams come true for children ages 3 to 18 who have severe or profound illnesses or conditions. Referrals can come from anywhere in the United States for children with severe or profound physical/developmental/intellectual challenges or trauma from physical/sexual abuse and whose families have limited income.
Dream requests can include:
- Staying at the Sunshine Foundation Dream Village and visiting area theme parks and attractions
- Funding towards a special gift or item of interest
- Funding towards medical or adaptive equipment that insurance may not cover
Supporting Children With Limited Verbal Skills Tip Sheet
This Supporting Children With Limited Verbal Skills tip sheet from the Illinois Early Learning Project provides strategies that are helpful to all children but are particularly helpful for those with limited verbal skills.
IEL offers a wide variety of one-page, easy-to-read tip sheets covering a wide range of topics for parents and teachers of young children.
All tipsheets are available in Spanish and English. Selected tipsheets are available in Polish, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Russian and French.
The Survivor Empowerment Center provides a safe and secure environment for southern Illinois domestic violence survivors and their children.
The Center provides free, confidential services around-the-clock, 365 days a year to domestic and sexual violence survivors. Women, men, adolescents and children from Franklin, Jackson, Johnson, Perry, Saline, Williamson, Union and Gallatin counties are welcome.
Help includes:
- A 24/7 hotline
- A safe place/shelter away from an abuser
- Counseling
- Education and training
- Assistance through medical, reporting and legal procedures
The Organization for Understanding Congenital Hearts (T.O.U.C.H.) provides support and information to empower families, children, youth and adults with congenital heart defects.
For additional information, contact touchhearts365@gmail.com
Take N.O.T.E. of Learning Differences
Take N.O.T.E. is an initiative developed by Understood in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics. It aims to help parents identify the signs of learning or thinking differences in their children.
Talking to Children About Racial Bias
The “Talking to Children About Racial Bias” page from HealthyChildren.org provides information on understanding how racial bias works in children as well as strategies to help them deal with and react to racial differences.
Talking to Children About Tragedies and Other Traumatic News Events
The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents, teachers, child care providers, and others who work closely with children to filter information about crises and present it in a way that their child can accommodate, adjust to and cope with. HealthyChildren.org provides information on where to start and how to provide the right support in this article, “Talking to Children About Tragedies and Other Traumatic News Events.”
Talking with Children During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides a tip sheet for caregivers, parents, and teachers on talking with children during infectious disease outbreaks.
SAMHSA tip sheet provides information for toddlers to teens and includes:
- Possible reactions
- Talking with children and youth in different age groups
- Supporting children and managing their responses
- Self-care
- More resources
Tellin’ Tales Theatre
The mission of Tellin’ Tales Theatre is to shatter barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through the transformative power of personal story.
The theatre brings together children and adults from both communities to share their stories in theatrically innovative productions and programs to promote awareness, understanding and acceptance.
Tellin’ Tales Theatre is located at 360 E. Randolph St., Suite 1006, in Chicago. For more details, call (312) 498-7193 or fill out the theatre’s Contact Us form.
The Arc of Illinois advocates for and empowers people with disabilities and their families to reach their goals and fully participate in community life. The Arc of Illinois provides information, resources, family support, and training to help make Illinois a place where people with disabilities can learn, play, work, and live in communities across the state.
The Arc of Illinois services and programs include:
- The Illinois Life Span program
- Children’s services and caregiver support
- Monthly webinars
- Assistive technology resources
- The Arc of Illinois fact sheets and more