The Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Medically Fragile Technology Dependent Children (commonly called the MFTD waiver) can pay for certain home modifications. The modifications must be for the individual’s primary residence and necessary to meet their medical needs. Home modifications may include:

• Permanent structural changes
• Equipment that is installed or attached to the home
• Solutions that are not permanent

This tip sheet explains what type of home modifications may be covered and the process for moving forward.

Home Modification Tip Sheet in English

Home Modification Tip Sheet in Spanish

The Mighty provides a digital toolkit to help caregivers learn more about the ins and outs of caregiving and discover helpful resources to utilize along their caregiving journey.

The Mighty’s Digital Toolkit for Caregivers includes:

• A caregiving binder, complete with worksheets to help you better organize important information
• A respite care questionnaire to help you find the perfect respite worker for your specific needs
• A self-care mini-guide to help you destress and prioritize your mental health

Everything included in the toolkit is downloadable, printable and shareable.

Early CHOICES is an inclusion initiative of the Illinois State Board of Education. It promotes increasing high-quality inclusive early care and education for each and every child from birth to age 5. Its goal is to increase the number of children with disabilities receiving specialized services in regular early care and education settings.

Early CHOICES provides planning tools for families to help them consider inclusive options and prepare for the transition from Early Intervention into early childhood services.

Illinois Unidos is a coalition of 150-plus Latino healthcare providers, policymakers, experts, nonprofits and leaders that aims to ensure every Latino family in Illinois has equal access to high-quality health care and comprehensive public services.

The coalition partners with the Illinois Department of Insurance to help uninsured and underinsured Latino residents. You can visit Illinois Unidos’ Get Covered page to enroll in a health plan with the help of its free Health Navigators. The page also includes frequently asked questions about the Affordable Care Act and Healthcare.gov.

For more information about Illinois Unidos, call (773) 492-3889 or email Support@illinoisUnidos.org.

Hands & Voices is a nationwide, parent-driven organization supporting families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing without a bias around communication modes or methodology.

Hands & Voices working in partnership with the St. Petersburg Early Intervention Institute provides a Russian translation of materials aimed at improving services and child outcomes.

Empowering people. Inspiring capabilities. ( EP!C ) serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. EP!C helps individuals with disabilities at all levels achieve their goals and live their lives to the fullest by providing a range of programs and services including:

• Educational services
• Community living services
• Employment services
• EP!Casso art program
• Healthcare supports

EP!C provides services to individuals in central and some southern Illinois communities.

The Arc’s Virtual Program Library is a free hub full of on-demand activities that people with disabilities, and their families and service providers can do at home.

Topics include arts, community and life skills, health and wellness, virtual clubs, and more. Service providers can also find and share resources to facilitate or deliver live, remote programming for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

FoodFinder’s free website and app display an interactive food assistance map, helping users find their nearest food pantry or other free food programs anywhere in the United States.

• Website: https://foodfinder.us/
• App: “FoodFinder – Fighting Hunger”
• Email: info@foodfinder.us

Disability Belongs is a diverse, disability-led nonprofit focusing on accessibility, inclusion, belonging and empowering people with disabilities. They provide a wide range of resources, including training, webinars, networking and fully accessible leadership and internship opportunities for people with disabilities.

Disability Belongs also provides:

• A variety of resources, including a toolkit with steps for making virtual and in-person events accessible.
• A paid, fully accessible National Leadership Program for people with disabilities in the fall and spring.
• A five-month, Disability Belongs™ Virtual Entertainment Lab for creatives with disabilities in development and production, and careers as writers, cinematographers, animators and other roles.

Hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and VaccineFinder from Boston Children’s Hospital, Vaccines.gov provides information and help with:

• Finding recommended vaccines for respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, the flu and RSV
• Making an appointment
• Answering frequently asked questions about the vaccines