Service, Inc. of Illinois is dedicated to helping people with developmental delays and disabilities find the services and supports they need to live a better life. Programs and offices are organized by county.

Child and Family Connections #15 serves children ages birth to 3 with disabilities and their families residing in Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and LaSalle Counties.

For information on how to make a referral, please call the CFC referral coordinator at (815) 768-3730.

Families can also visit Service, Inc.’s Frequently Asked Questions page for more information and more details for requesting help anywhere in Illinois.

The Illinois Client Assistance Program (CAP) is a federally funded program that helps persons with disabilities understand and use rehabilitation services. The program:

• Informs and advises individuals of the services and benefits available to them through programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act and Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Advocates and provides assistance for people seeking programs and services provided for within the Rehabilitation Act
• Helps to identify and resolve problems that may arise during the rehabilitation process
• Identifies problem areas in providing rehabilitation services and makes suggestions for improving services

Those eligible for CAP are:

• Anyone seeking information, applying for services or already receiving services from the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), the Vocational Rehabilitation and the Centers for Independent Living
• Persons who are dissatisfied with the services they are receiving, or who have been denied services for which they may be eligible
• Persons needing intervention or assistance in their relationships with programs providing rehabilitation service

For more information about CAP, call (855) 452-2725 (1-855-ILCAP-25). TTY and Relay callers can dial 711. You can also email cap@equipforequality.org or visit equipforequality.org/cap for more details.

DSCC’s Health Care Transition Readiness Assessment for Youth provides a checklist for youth to use to identify what they know about their health, self-care skills and abilities they have met, and areas where they may need additional focus as they prepare for the transition to adulthood. The skills list also includes medication and treatment management and managing insurance benefits. Some of these activities may not apply to everyone.

Health Care Transition Readiness Assessment for Youth in English

Health Care Transition Readiness Assessment for Youth in Spanish

Love and Logic provides tools and techniques to help adults achieve respectful, healthy relationships with their children. While some materials can be purchased, this links to the free articles and handouts for parents.

The Shannon Foundation is a non-profit organization helps pays for medical care for children whose families can’t afford it.  Working through social workers at various hospitals across the country to identify kids in need, the foundation has paid for medicine, medical tests and procedures, equipment (such as wheelchairs, ventilators, etc.), hospital visits, surgery, medical co-pays, chemotherapy and physical therapy.

For more information, use the online form on the Shannon Foundation’s website, email shannonfoundation@fishersuhr.com or call (303) 436-1224.

As a part of the University of Illinois Chicago’s Institute on Disability and Human Development, the Developmental Disabilities Family Clinic aims to maximize potential with a real focus on quality of life. Its clinical staff takes a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to providing services for individuals (ages 3 and older) with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. It is located at 1640 W. Roosevelt Road, DHSP 103, in Chicago.

The clinic’s licensed and credentialed team includes social workers, speech-language pathologists, licensed professional counselors, physicians and clinical psychologists. The clinic provides services in English and Spanish and has a distinct interdisciplinary bilingual team of Spanish-speaking professionals serving the Chicago developmental disabilities community. The clinic provides services and support in the following areas:

• Autism support
• Transition to adulthood services and future planning (including guardianship)
• Early intervention for babies and toddlers (services available on site and at home)
• Emotional and behavioral consultation
• Dual diagnosis
• Social skills and relationships
• Trauma

For more information, email ddfc@uic.edu or call (312) 413-1871.

Variety of Illinois helps children with disabilities and their families feel supported and included in their community. Variety provides inclusive and accessible activities, equipment and experiences to help children with disabilities have fun, learn and grow. Its programs include:

• Accessible activities for the whole family
• Providing adaptive and mobility equipment not covered by insurance for children with disabilities
• Encouraging participation in adaptive sports
• The Build-a-Bike program

Visit Variety of Illinois’s website to apply for a grant or sign up for its newsletter.

For questions, please contact Variety of Illinois at (312) 822-0660 or info@varietyofillinois.org.

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.

Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) offers year-round recreation programs and services for children and adults with disabilities. Programs include camps, art classes, special events, social outings and more.

The Midwestern University Dental Institute in Downers Grove provides comprehensive, compassionate dental care, including pediatric and general care, restorations, orthodontics and oral surgery.

If you have any questions or need to make an appointment, please contact the Dental Institute at ilmwudentalclinic@midwestern.edu or (630) 743-4500.