Many families are struggling to piece together continuity of care for their children with special health care needs during the pandemic. Easing the Financial Burden on Family Caregivers: Translating 1915(c) Appendix K, an article from the Center for Health Care Strategies, discusses options for states to assist families, including paid family caregiving.

The Stanford Health Literacy Lab in collaboration with families and providers developed the COVID-19 Preparedness Tool for Families and Caregivers to help families of children with special healthcare needs prepare for the pandemic in a variety of settings.

The user-friendly tool, also available in Spanish, provides tips for home, healthcare settings, schools and work. It also offers advice for coping with family stress.

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) provides the “Return to School Post-COVID-19 Closure Considerations for Students with Disabilities and Special Healthcare Needs” document to guide school nurses when planning for the return to school for students with disabilities and special healthcare needs.

Students with disabilities and special healthcare needs pose a unique challenge to school reentry in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school nurse is an integral member of student-specific 504 and IEP teams, having knowledge regarding development, chronic health conditions and COVID-19. The NASN concludes that hrough conscientious, collaborative planning with primary healthcare providers, families and staff, most students with disabilities and special healthcare needs can attend school when adaptations and accommodations are provided.

The passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act authorized the creation of stimulus checks for individuals and families under certain income thresholds. Most Illinoisans are eligible for these stimulus checks, though many did not receive them, leaving millions of dollars unclaimed.

Get My Payment IL Coalition is available to answer any and all stimulus payment questions. It provides a step-by-step process to follow in order to receive a stimulus check.

Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center has put together this guide to help parents who are unsure of the return-to-school options for their child with special education needs.

The Return to School Preparation Guide is designed to help you prepare for the school year no matter where learning will take place for your child. This document was created for the 2020-2021 school year but contains helpful information and a checklist to help parents prepare.

Community Partners for Affordable Housing has information on emergency rent and utility assistance programs to help Lake County, Illinois households whose incomes have decreased due to COVID-19. Their website outlines the different programs and provides eligibility guidelines.

If you need help submitting your application, accessing computer equipment, are unsure which program may be better for you or have other questions, please contact Emergency Assistance Coordinator, Toni Martinez, at tmartinez@cpahousing.org or (847) 263-7478 ext 30.

Community Housing Advocacy & Development (CHAD) is a nonprofit corporation that provides quality, affordable, long-term rental housing to income-qualifying, hardworking individuals and families who struggle to support themselves.

CHAD owns, leases and manages over 500 units in 175 properties in 30 west suburban communities that represent a range of affordable housing opportunities including single-family homes, duplexes, apartments and townhomes and provides professional property management services to over 1,100 residents. CHAD offers below-market rents to income-qualified applicants.

The DuPage Health Coalition is coordinating a communitywide face mask drive to collect cloth masks to give to local families and nonprofit organizations at no cost.

Fill out the form at accessdupage.org/mask-drive/ to request masks for your family.

For more information, email kmurphy@accessdupage.org or call the health coalition office at (630) 510-8720.

The Illinois Department of Human Services is offering online purchasing for more than 1.8 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers across a million households.

Online SNAP will give families easier access to food during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Busy parents will no longer have to stress about how they can pick their kids up from school and make it to the grocery store before dinner. And those working multiple jobs or the late shift won’t have to rush to make it before the store closes. All families will have another option to independently secure the food they need.

The Sangamon County Department of Community Resources strives to improve the quality of life for people in-need in Sangamon County through department programs, services and referrals that promote economic stability and/or self-motivation.

The department provides several resource guides that cover financial assistance, food pantries, health care, housing and more.