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.

Lake County Center for Independent Living (LCCIL) is a non-residential, cross-disability organization governed and staffed by a majority of people with disabilities. The center advocates for a fully accessible society that is inclusive of everyone. LCCIL serves Lake and McHenry counties.

LCCIL offers transition services to adults who want to live independently in their homes in the community and youth who seek a fully productive, independent life as they transition into adulthood. Programs include community transition services, pre-employment transition services and youth transition services.

Project Mobility is a nonprofit organization that offers recreational events using specialized bicycles for people with disabilities. Its professional staff works with families, rehabilitative professionals and organizations to promote better health, independence, and most of all the freedom of mobility for people with physical disabilities.

Project Mobility also does an Adaptive Bike Giveaway.

“A Parent’s Guide – Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois” is a guide for parents, teachers, administrators and others to learn about the educational rights of children who receive special education and related services due to disabilities that affect their ability to achieve academically.

Special education laws and procedures are complicated and can be difficult to understand. This guide from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will clarify some of the procedures of special education. It contains information about many of the most common topics related to the broad special education landscape, from identification and evaluation to transition planning and complaint procedures.

Review individual topics and chapters or download a complete copy of “A Parent’s Guide – Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois” on ISBE’s website.

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 with rpreparing for and responding to COVID-19 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.

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 has over 500 housing units of all property types in 30 communities across DuPage, Kane, Will and portions of Cook counties in northeastern Illinois. Properties include apartment homes, condominiums, duplexes, townhouses, and single-family homes. CHAD offers below-market rents to income-qualified applicants.

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 for the residents of Sangamon County.