Resource Directory
Find resource information for families and children with special healthcare needs.
Some of these resources are specific for families and children enrolled in our programs. Others may be of interest to any family or child with special healthcare needs.
You can use the search box below to narrow your view. For example, you can search for support groups, respite, grant programs, a specific topic or by condition.
You can also browse by category or by region using the links on the right side of this page.
Here is a quick video showing how to use the search and display features for our resources and events.
Check back often for updates. If you don’t find what you need, please call us at (800) 322-3722 or send us an email.
Education Resources
SIP Arts Foundation, Inc. is an Illinois nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities and their families. It offers community education on special education laws, disability rights and advocacy. The foundation also offers opportunities to provide a voice and foster healing through creative expression in the arts. SIP Arts Foundation programs include:
- One-on-one person-centered planning that maps each family’s goals and next steps
- Free community meals that reduce isolation and bring families together
- Group advocacy workshops where every family leaves with a personalized binder organizing their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), rights and records
- Pathways to Expression, an inclusive studio arts program in Belleville for children ages 4 to 12 with and without disabilities
- Self-advocacy programming in St. Clair and Madison counties that helps young people find their voice and prepare for the transition to post-secondary education and employment
For questions, please visit SIP Arts Foundation’s “Let’s Connect” page or email info@sipartsfoundation.org.
Southern Illinois Pathways is a grassroots initiative led by individuals with disabilities, family members and professionals to support families navigating disability, special education and mental health systems across metro east Illinois. It offers free, plain-language workshops for families, students, young adults, and individuals with disabilities. It helps make disability rights, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), mental health supports, local services and self-advocacy easier to understand.
Southern Illinois Pathways offers free:
- Resources for families
- A local workshop series on Saturday mornings at libraries in each county. The workshops cover disability rights, IEPs and services in plain language.
- Events
Southern Illinois Pathways is a program of SIP Arts Foundation, Inc., an Illinois nonprofit advancing arts, disability advocacy and education across Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties in metro east Illinois.
For questions, please contact Southern Illinois Pathways at (618) 816-8834, (618) 623-2423 (direct) or info@southernilpathways.com.
The Camden Coalition is a multidisciplinary, community-based nonprofit working to improve care for people with complex health and social needs nationwide. The coalition focuses on implementing person-centered programs and piloting new models that address chronic illness and social barriers to health and well-being. It develops and tests care management models and redesigns systems in partnership with consumers, community members, health systems, community-based organizations, government agencies, payers and more. Resources include a complex care start-up toolkit, webinars, journal articles, data and more.
Camden Coalition’s full library of resources includes:
- A National Center initiative that collaborates with other experts across the nation to develop best practices, inform policy and foster an engaged and accessible community to teach and deliver better care to individuals with chronic illness and social barriers to health and well-being
- Amplify: A consumer voices bureau
- Toolkits on a wide range of topics
- Webinars and videos
- Events and opportunities
- Community and consumer engagement
- Data analysis and integration
The Camden Coalition also offers the National Consumer Scholars program to help people with lived experiences build skills, network and become sought-after experts in the national complex care community.
If you have any questions, please visit the Camden Coalition’s Contact Us page.
Family Resources
Special Father’s Network is a dad-to-dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs.
The program connects new fathers of children with special abilities with another father (a Mentor Father) who has experienced a similar situation. The program matches Mentor Fathers as closely as possible based on the child’s special needs, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic group and relationship to the child e.g., .father, stepfather, grandfather).
The Special Father’s Network is available through the 21st Century Dads Foundation, which raises awareness and resources for greater father involvement and seeks to inspire dads to be present, caring and nurturing.
For questions, please use the 21st Century Dads Contact form or email info@21stCenturyDads.org.
The Illinois Respite Coalition (IRC) is a not-for-profit organization of caregivers and respite providers dedicated to supporting families and ensuring access to quality respite services for the residents of Illinois. The IRC assists caregivers by connecting them to resources in their area, providing training on respite topics and having funding available for emergency respite. The IRC helps caregivers of individuals across the lifespan with any disability.
The Emergency Respite Care Program offers funding and resources to support caregivers who are not receiving any respite services and have an urgent need for respite care in the absence of any other funding source. Emergency respite care may be for an unplanned or planned event for reasons including:
- Caregiver illness (physical, mental or emotional)
- Caregiver hospitalization or doctor appointments
- Work-related situation or loss of employment
- Reduction of stress level
- Funeral or wake
The website gives examples of qualifying circumstances and information on how to apply. For more information, contact:
- The Illinois Respite Coalition at (866) ILL-RESP (455-7377), ext. 101, or email ilrespitecoalition@gmail.com.
- Spanish-speaking callers may call (866) 866-ILL-RESP (455-7377), ext. 103, or email ilrespitecoalition@gmail.com.
Almost Home Kids provides a bridge from hospital to home through an innovative community-based care system for children with medical complexities up to age 22. It responds to the needs of families, trains caregivers, offers respite care, advocates for accessibility and inclusion and educates healthcare professionals.
Almost Home Kids offers transitional, respite and respite transportation care. It has locations in Chicago, Naperville and Peoria.