A new licensure process for nursing agencies will help provide more options for children and adults in need of in-home nursing care

The nationwide nursing shortage has affected many Illinois families in need of in-home shift nursing care for their children with complex medical needs.

There is a constant demand for more in-home nursing care options in all parts of the state, both rural and urban.

The University of Illinois Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) has partnered with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to help meet this need and give families more nursing care options.

DSCC worked with IDPH to change how our enrolled nursing agencies are licensed to serve Illinois counties. Nursing agencies can now be licensed to serve all of Illinois instead of only individual counties.

This change should make it easier for nursing agencies to serve more parts of the state.

Before this change, nursing agencies could only operate within their approved service county area. Nursing agencies had to request approval for each county they wanted to serve.

This process made it difficult for nursing agencies to expand coverage to areas in need. Our participants who receive in-home shift nursing through the Home Care Program could only receive services from nursing agencies licensed for their specific county.

Now all nursing agencies who are licensed and enrolled with DSCC in good standing may serve all Home Care participants in any part of the state.

This broader statewide approach to nursing agency licenses will offer more available nursing options to our participant families.

Please note that each nursing agency must decide if it wants to expand its service area to other parts of the state. This decision is based on nursing staff availability.

We are thankful for IDPH’s partnership to help meet this important need for our participants and their families!

The deadline to share feedback is June 30.

Families have an opportunity to share feedback on proposed updates to the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Medically Fragile, Technology Dependent (MFTD) Children.

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is the Medicaid agency responsible for the MFTD waiver. Many families in the Home Care Program have children who receive services through the MFTD waiver.

HFS must renew Illinois’ MFTD waiver every five years. HFS and the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) have partnered to make several changes as part of this year’s renewal process.

To review the full list of waiver updates, you can:

• See page 2 of the electronic copy of the proposed renewal application.
  
• Review a hard copy at HFS’ offices at:
  
  • 201 South Grand Ave. E.,
    Springfield, IL 62763
    
  • 401 S. Clinton
    Chicago, IL 60607

HFS now seeks public input on these changes. (You can read the public comment notice on the HFS website.)

The deadline to provide feedback is June 30.

You can share your feedback in two ways:

• Via email to HFS.HCBSWaiver@illinois.gov
• Via mail to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Attention: Waiver Operations Management, 201 South Grand Ave. E., 2FL, Springfield, IL 62763

HFS will send your comments to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of the waiver approval process.

If you have questions, please contact HFS’s Waiver Operations Management Unit at (217) 524-4148 or (844) 528-8444.

Meals, financial help, health tips, condition-specific information, learning tools and more to support families of children with special healthcare needs.

Parents and caregivers have a lot to juggle as they care for a child with special healthcare needs amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

The uncertainty and required social distancing can pose unique challenges, questions and concerns.

The University of Illinois Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC)’s team of professionals is here to help.

We’ve compiled a list of resources to help families find the right support: https://dscc.uic.edu/browse-resources/covid-resources/.

The list includes places offering free meals, utility assistance, free Wi-Fi, health tips, educational websites, activities during social distancing and condition-specific information.

Resources are also broken down by our regional office locations.

We’ll continue to update this list as new resources become available. Please check back often for the latest information.

If you have a resource to add to our list, please email us at dscc@uic.edu.

We’re here to help participants and their families plan and take the proper precautions with their medical supplies during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Many families enrolled with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) rely on medical supplies for their child’s care.

Now is a good time to plan for how to keep your supplies properly stocked through the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

We suggest you reach out to your child’s medical provider about how to safely reuse and/or make supplies last longer. This information can help you act in the best interest of your child in case there’s a need to conserve medical supplies in the future.

We also recommend asking your provider about getting extra necessary medications to have on hand or using a mail-order option.

Your DSCC Care Coordinator is also available to discuss strategies and help you feel prepared and well-equipped for your child’s care in the weeks and months ahead.

Please reach out to your local regional office or call us at (800) 322-3722.

DSCC taking steps to protect our participants, their caregivers and our staff, including suspended home visits and limiting office visitors.

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) has an important update about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 

We want you to be aware of some p​recautions we are taking to protect our program participants, their families/caregivers and our DSCC team.   

We are limiting visitors in our office until the guidance changes.  We feel this step is necessary to protect the participants of our program and our staff.

If you arrive at one of our offices, you will be asked to call to tell us more about how we can help you.  

We are also suspending home visits or other face-to-face visits until the current situation improves. 

DSCC Regional Offices plan to remain open.  If we have to close an office, we will still have staff available through our other DSCC locations who can help you get the care you need. 

Since the guidance on ways to slow the spread of coronavirus is evolving, please watch our website for continued updates.  

Our DSCC team remains committed to our mission to partner with Illinois families and communities to help children and youth with special healthcare needs connect to the services and resources they need.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we all do our part to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.  

Be well!

The count helps support key programs and services for children and families.

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau counts all people in the United States. This count determines how much federal money is available for services and programs for children, including those with special healthcare needs.

By filling out the 2020 census form, parents can help ensure their children have the resources they need.

In March, the government will send every household a letter in the mail. This letter has instructions on how to fill out the census form.

The form asks for a count of everyone living at the address as of April 1, 2020. The count should include babies, young children and children with special healthcare needs and disabilities.

During the 2010 census, nearly one million young children were not counted, according to the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP).  

If young children are not counted in the 2020 census, the following programs could lose funds:

• Medicaid
• Children’s Health Insurance Program
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Title I funding
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) special education funding
• Head Start
• Childcare and Development Block Grants

States and communities also use census data to fund and develop programs and services for children and families.  

All census responses are confidential. Your answers are not shared with anyone and are only used to count the number of people in the country.

AMCHP provides a 2020 census fact sheet for parents. (A Spanish fact sheet is also available.) It explains how the census works, how young children should be counted and confidentiality.

The U.S. Census Bureau also provides helpful resources for parents:

• Census 101
• Counting Young Children
• 2020 Census Safety and Security

You can also watch the Census Bureau video below:

Families can watch video presentations from experts in the field on a range of topics affecting children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The Institute for Parents of Preschool Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is a one-week program for parents of children ages 5 and under who have a significant hearing loss.

It takes place on the campus of the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville each June. Participating parents attend daily lectures by experts in the field to learn about raising a child with hearing loss.

Lecture topics include:

• Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Advocacy
• Communication Options
• Language
• Assistive Listening Devices
• Literacy
• Amplification

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC), a supporter of the Institute, is making these presentations available online so they can benefit more families of children with hearing loss.

Videos on each topic are posted on the Illinois Sound Beginnings website.

Parents and caregivers can watch each presentation at their own pace in the comfort of their own home.

If you are interested in participating in the next Institute or would like more information, call us at (800) 322-3722 or email Institute@exchange.dscc.uic.edu.

You can also visit our Events page for more details about the 2020 Institute.

You may also read a recap of the 2019 Institute at https://dscc.uic.edu/institute-provides-support-connection-for-dscc-families-of-children-with-hearing-loss/.

Public input needed for maternal and child health survey

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) wants to hear from you.

We invite Illinois residents to fill out a quick, anonymous survey about the needs of women, infants, children and families across the state.

Your input will help us better understand the health challenges facing Illinois communities. It will also help us determine how new programs and services could help meet communities’ needs.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous and confidential. You can click on the English survey link or the Spanish survey link to complete it online.

We are working with the Illinois Department of Public Health to collect survey responses.

This feedback will help guide the work of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Program over the next five years.

We will collect responses through the end of March 2020.

Email DPH.MCH@illinois.gov with any questions about the survey.

We hope to hear from you!

DSCC continues to provide care coordination services and support for affected families.

Illinois children with special healthcare needs who receive Medicaid are now enrolled in managed care.

Managed care is a type of health insurance program. When you enroll in managed care, you become a member of a health plan. HealthChoice Illinois is the new managed care program that is now required statewide.

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) moved children with special healthcare needs into a HealthChoice Illinois health plan on Feb. 1.

This transition affected participants enrolled with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) who both:

• Receive Medicaid and
• Do not have private health insurance

DSCC staff is working with HFS and its partners to continue our care coordination services for DSCC families now enrolled in a HealthChoice Illinois health plan.

We are developing contracts with each HealthChoice Illinois plan so families continue to receive the right support for their unique needs and goals.

We will share more information about our partnership with each HealthChoice Illinois health plan once contracts are complete.

DSCC staff is here to help affected families with any questions about your new health plan.

You may contact your local DSCC regional office or reach us at (800) 322-3722 or dscc@uic.edu.

DSCC’s new greeting cards feature artwork from young Illinois artists

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) is excited to announce the winners of our Greeting Card Art Contest.

The 38 greeting card designs feature drawings from 28 artists ranging in age from 1 to 18.

The cards will be sent to our participants, providers and community partners.

There are at least six designs for each greeting card category:

• Congratulations
• Get Well
• Happy Birthday
• Happy Holidays
• Thank You
• With Sympathy

DSCC collected drawings for the greeting cards from Illinois youth all over the state. The drawings were posted on DSCC’s Facebook page. Those that received the most likes were considered for the greeting card designs.

Congratulations to all of the artists!

The winning designs for each category are:

Congratulations

Get Well

Happy Birthday

Happy Holidays

Thank You

With Sympathy