The Illinois Poison Center’s Caregivers Guide webpage offers practical advice on keeping children safe from potentially harmful substances. The guide provides general safety tips along with concrete steps for medicine safety, handbag/purse safety and plant safety. It also offers:

• Related resources
• Free online poison prevention education training, educational materials and presentation tools
• Next steps for when children eat something they shouldn’t

You can also download a PDF of the guide:

• Caregivers Guide to Poison Prevention in English
• Caregivers Guide to Poison Prevention in Spanish

In case of emergency, call the Poison Center Helpline at (800) 222-1222. Calls are free and confidential.

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) provides research, resources and advocacy to improve the quality of life and health of people of all ages with food allergy. Food allergy can cause life-threatening allergic reactions. FARE supports food allergy research, education programs for people with and without food allergies, and awareness of healthcare options and treatments.

FARE programs and services also include:

• “Teen Talk,” a monthly virtual hangout for preteens, teens, and young adults with food allergies
• Allergy alerts and ingredient notices
• A Food Allergy Guide, toolkits and other downloadable resources in English and Spanish
• Resources for dieticians and other healthcare professionals
• Recipes
• Support groups

If you have any questions, please contact 1 (800) 929-4040 or complete the Contact Us form on FARE’s website.

KidsWork Children’s Museum of New Lenox encourages children of all abilities to be curious explorers, engaged learners, creative and critical thinkers, and thoughtful and kind individuals. Kids can have playful learning experiences that encourage gross-motor play, imaginative storytelling, creative projects, and investigative discovery across a range of developmental levels and interests. Sensory-friendly playtime is on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.

KidsWork Children’s Museum of New Lenox also offers a social story and other tools to help prepare for museum visits. For questions, contact the museum at (815) 469-1199 or info@kidswork.org.

The UIS Performing Arts Center is a certified Sensory Inclusive Venue through KultureCity. Most sensory friendly shows are in the UIS Studio Theatre with limited lighting and sound changes. Audience members can also move, speak, sing along, and come and go as needed. Trained staff can also help guests with sensory needs. The UIS Performing Arts Center’s sensory-friendly initiatives also include sensory bags, weighted lap pads, quiet areas, social stories and more.

Junior Achievement USA (JA) helps young people own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices. The organization offers educational materials for schools and other organizations and hands-on learning experiences for students focusing on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. JA Connect also provides online self-guided activities to help students learn, apply and practice new skills. JA outreach in Illinois also includes:

• Junior Achievement of Central Illinois Inc.
• Junior Achievement of Chicago
• Junior Achievement of the Heartland

John Wood Community College (JWCC) offers various support services to help students in Adams and Brown County succeed in the classroom. Students with disabilities can get help exploring career options, finding resources to pay for college, tutoring and more. Other programs include:

• College for Life (CFL) program
• JWCC Disability Services
• Perkins Student Support
• TRiO Student Support Services (TRiO SSS), a federal grant that provides free help to 175 qualifying JWCC students who are first-generation college students, meet income guidelines, or have a disability.

If you have questions, please email Alisa Cameron or call  (217) 641-4302.

Do It for the Love inspires hope and healing through music. The non-profit organization grants live concert wishes for people with life-threatening illnesses, children with severe challenges and wounded veterans. You can apply for yourself, your child or nominate someone for a live music wish.

For more information, email info@doitforthelove.org.

Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) offers free American Sign Language (ASL) classes for families who have children ages birth through high school who are deaf or hard of hearing. Deaf instructors teach the classes in sign language and written English. MVCC serves residents in Moraine Valley and Cook County.

To register for the classes and get more details, email ASL@morainevalley.edu.

Cherished Creations grants two types of “wishes” to help children who are seriously ill or have disabilities (up to 21 years old). “Dreams Wishes” provide help with trips, attending special events or buying gifts to better a child’s life within the lower 48 states. “Support Wishes” fulfill practical needs such as ramps, medical equipment not covered by insurance and other needs, especially for children who might not be able to live at home otherwise.

You can find Cherished Creations eligibility rules and applications on its website.

For other questions, please email Bianca Kovalcik at bkovalcik@cherishedcreations.com or call (908) 790-0616.

Chive Charities is a non-profit providing grants to support underserved veterans, military families, first responders and people with rare medical diagnoses. Chive Charities shares grant recipients’ stories to educate, advocate and inspire others to help provide a weekly grant to individuals with life-altering or life-threatening needs.

Chive Charities grant items must either improve quality of life or be medically-related and not fully covered by insurance. Past grants have included:

• Therapy equipment, such as adaptive tricycles and robotic walkers
• Service dogs
• Wheelchair-accessible vans
• Mobility items