Child & Family Connections (CFC) is the starting point for the referral of children under 36 months of age to the Part C Early Intervention Service System in McHenry County. Early Intervention services are designed to meet an infant’s or toddler’s needs if they are experiencing issues related to five specific areas of development: physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional and adaptive.

For more information, click on the brochure in English or Spanish.

For students who do not live in permanent housing, attending school and staying on track for their grade can present challenges on many levels and across different areas.

Chicago Public Schools and networks provide assistance in removing these barriers to qualified Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS), including providing transportation, school uniforms, school supplies, fee waivers and referrals to community resources.

To find out if your student and family are eligible for STLS services, contact the STLS Liaison at your school. Every CPS school, including charter schools and options schools, has an STLS Liaison. For other questions about the STLS Program, please call (773) 553-2242 or email STLSInformation@cps.edu.

Mental Health America’s Back-to-School Toolkit provides educational information and tips on tackling some of the most common online stressors for youth. Titled “Selfies, Social & Screens: Navigating Virtual Spaced for Youth,” the toolkit includes fact sheets for youth and adults, and a guide to national and local resources.

The official site of the Hearing Improvement Kids Endowment Fund, Inc. (HIKE). The purpose of the fund is to provide hearing devices for children with hearing losses between the ages of newborn and 20 years whose parents are unable to meet this special need financially.

Children are eligible to receive a grant providing the need is verified by a prescription from an audiologist or physician.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities provides resources for parents and caregivers, educators, young adults and learning disability champions.

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) provides tools, resources, and community. LDA’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education, and advocacy.

The U.S. Department of Education Department provides this transition guide to help students with disabilities and their families understand the years-long process and the options available to them as they prepare to leave public education.

The guide includes information on transition planning, transition services and requirements,  education and employment options for students and youth with disabilities,  and how to support the decisions made by students and youth with disabilities.

The Kinda Guide is designed to be a weekly survival guide for parents and families that will include expert tips on remote learning, parenting advice, virtual camp activities, simple meal and snack ideas and at-home family adventures.

The City of Aurora provides information on a wide variety of resources including housing, food, clothing and legal assistance.

Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (Chicagoland DPOCC), the Institute on Disability and Human Development and Counting on Chicago Coalition came together to create a helpful tool for those who want to learn more about the 2020 U.S. Census and how it affects disability communities throughout the country, including people with disabilities who live in Chicago.

Census 101: #IAmCounted is a packet where you can find out what the census means, how the census can help communities (including the disability community), ways to complete the census and more.

If you would like to get the packet in a different language, email chicagolandpocc@gmail.com.