Chicago Resources
Flying Horse Farms Camp for Families and Children with Serious Illnesses
Flying Horse Farms (FHF) is a free medical specialty camp for children and young adults ages 7 to 21 with complex medical conditions and their families. Located in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, FHF offers fun, transformative overnight and family camping experiences to campers across the United States. Camps are available for children and young adults with diagnoses and conditions that include:
- Heart and lung conditions
- Rheumatologic diagnoses
- Craniofacial diagnoses
- Blood disorders
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Spinal cord diagnoses
- Mental health conditions
There is no cost to attend camp sessions. Lodging and meals are also provided.
The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University
The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University is a federally funded center providing elementary and secondary education programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The Clerc Center Online Community provides best-practice videos, research, toolkits and resources for families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and the professionals who work with them.
Clerc Center resources include:
- The Language First Parent Guide, a step-by-step roadmap for parents with children who are deaf and hard of hearing
- Family-focused activities such as American Sign Language (ASL) classes, bilingual storybooks and more
Arts of Life is a non-profit organization offering an artistic community and work environment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Chicagoland pursuing a career in art. Art of Life has three professional art studios. Artists have their own studio space and work independently from individualized project plans or receive one-to-one visual arts help to increase their artistic skill set. Artists earn a monthly stipend for participating in the program and bonuses based on personal annual art sales.
Arts of Life offers opportunities for artists to work in one of its professional studios, in classes at partner art centers or in their homes. It brings together artists from 40-plus zip codes to work in community in West Town, Woodlawn, Glenview, Evanston, and Highland Park.
Camp Erin Grief Support Online
Eluna’s Camp Erin Online provides an intentional space for children and their families to connect, find support and remember the people in their lives who have died. Camp Erin Online focuses on helping families find meaningful support as they move through grief using creative outlets such as:
- Painting
- Music
- Mindfulness
- Movement
- Photography
To attend Camp Erin Online events and programs, fill out an application online.
Siblings with a Mission is an international organization that supports siblings and families of individuals with complex health conditions and developmental disabilities. The organization serves both siblings and sibling supporters (parents, grandparents, friends, healthcare providers, professionals, etc.) of all ages and backgrounds. It provides:
- Sibling support groups focused on a specific diagnosis or disability
- SibSpot, a place where siblings and sibling supporters can read stories about sibling heroes and meet other siblings from around the world
- Resource lists and more
City of Chicago Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights
The City of Chicago Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights (IMRR) partners with community organizations, academic institutions and the private sector to provide a wide range of information, resources and services. IMMR’s website resources include:
- A Know Your Rights Guide (Translations are available in Spanish, French, Simplified Chinese, Ukrainian and Haitian Creole)
- A Resource Guide for New Arrivals in Chicago (Translations are available in Spanish, French, Arabic, Haitian Creole and Portuguese)
- Citizenship requirements and how to apply for citizenship
- Information and resources for new Americans
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) eligibility and resources
- Legal Protection Fund information and more
Migrant Ministry of the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park provides a variety of support services to help migrants and asylum seekers work toward achieving financial independence. Located at the former St. Edmund School (now St. Edmund Center) at 200 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park, Migrant Ministry offers:
- Resources
- Advocacy
- Help finding food, housing and other supports
- Family mentors
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Resources
This tip sheet from the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) aims to help guide parents and caregivers through the steps to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA). It links to several websites and provides general guidelines.
Please note information may change, so be sure to go directly to the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) website to verify information remains accurate and up to date.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)’s Resiliency Toolkit is a collection of resources designed to foster safe and healthy school climates. In response to the growing mental health challenges that Illinois youth face, this toolkit offers developmentally appropriate tools to help students, parents, caregivers and school personnel build the resilience necessary to thrive.
ISBE’s Resiliency Toolkit topics include:
- Mental health
- Discrimination and harassment
- Preventing and addressing bullying
- Substance use prevention and more
World Relief Chicagoland is a not-for-profit agency providing services to refugees and immigrants in Aurora, Chicago and DuPage County. World Relief Chicagoland provides financial, emotional, and cultural support to refugees from around the world.
World Relief Chicagoland programs and services include:
- An Immigrant Resource Hub in multiple languages
- Immigration legal services
- Workforce development
- Adult education
- Children and youth support
- Mental health services