This handbook is meant to provide basic information about disability rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as resources for finding out more.

The Youth and Family Center of McHenry County (YFC) is dedicated to helping people help themselves through a variety of programs and services. YFC can help families with registering for child care and food assistance, understanding and translating documents, and finding financial, mental health and employment services. YFC also provides after-school and summer programming, adult education and engagement programs, bi-cultural navigation services, a community garden, English classes and more.

You can review the center’s flyer, provided in Spanish and English, for more information.

You can schedule an appointment online or call the main office in McHenry at (815) 322-2357. Please provide a full name and phone number to receive a callback.

The Arc has developed voting resources in plain language and Spanish, including a disability voter guide and sample questions for candidates.

Highpoint Care Center provides Drive-Up Care Centers where visitors can receive a bag filled with household toiletries and groceries. The organization also provides meals to District 200 students during lunchtime and has a mobile food pantry. Additional assistance with the cost of utilities, rent and car repairs is available.

Care Center locations are in Naperville, North Aurora, Bolingbrook/Romeoville and Wheaton.

The Night’s Shield is a nonprofit that works with children who have been victims of abuse, abandonment and neglect. The organization has provided free diapers, furniture, child care items, hygiene items, school supplies, food and clothing to families in need.

The Night Shield’s Family Advocacy Center provides services to help strengthen families and relationships, including case management and client advocacy, life skills/coaching, parenting classes/groups and more.

The Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission (IDHHC) is an executive state agency that promotes education and awareness of the legal requirements for effective communication on behalf of people with hearing loss in Illinois.

The commission also provides information about:

• Assistive technology
• Hearing aid assistance
• Service animal resources
• Interpreters and CART providers
• American Sign Language (ASL) videos and publications

The Arc of Illinois Family-to-Family Health Information Center works with families and professionals to help with questions and concerns related to the health of children and youth with special healthcare needs under the age of 22.

The center focuses on sharing the most thorough, up-to-date resources regarding health insurance options, government benefits, youth transition concerns and more to help children thrive in their community.

For more information, call (815) 464-1832, ext. 1017, or email familytofamily@thearcofil.org or mary@thearcofil.org.

HealthyChildren.org’s How to Help Children Build Resilience in Uncertain Times provides information on the feelings many of us experience during uncertain times and how they provide a chance to model and teach lifelong resilience skills to children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents, teachers, child care providers, and others who work closely with children to filter information about crises and present it in a way that their child can accommodate, adjust to and cope with. HealthyChildren.org provides information on where to start and how to provide the right support in this article, “Talking to Children About Tragedies and Other Traumatic News Events.”

The “Talking to Children About Racial Bias” page from HealthyChildren.org provides information on understanding how racial bias works in children as well as strategies to help them deal with and react to racial differences.