Resource Directory /

Lombard Resources

  • Emergency Preparedness Planning for Families and People with Disabilities

    Ready.gov provides emergency preparedness tools and information to help families before, during and after disasters. This site includes:

    Resources are also available in American Sign Language (ASL)  and other languages including Spanish, simplified and traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

  • Child Care Assistance Program

    As families across Illinois continue to get back on their feet amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Illinois Department of Human Services is expanding Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) eligibility to help residents get back to work.

    Parents who are unemployed and actively seeking employment will be eligible for three months of child care assistance, provided they meet the standard Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) eligibility requirements.

    If parents become employed or enroll in an education program before the end of the three-month period and meet all other CCAP eligibility requirements, their eligibility will continue for 12 months in total.

    Families interested in applying for support through CCAP should contact their local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency (CCR&R) or call (877) 202-4453 toll-free.

  • Ameren Illinois Economic Hardship Recovery Program

    Ameren Illinois’ Economic Hardship Recovery Program provides information on various energy assistance programs, payment options and tips on lowering your utility bill.

    This step-by-step resource includes information on:

    • Assistance paying your energy bills, applying for financial assistance and eligibility guidelines
    • Exploring payment options
    • Tips for lowering future energy bills and energy efficiency programs

    Click here for a list of assistance programs statewide, including Warm Neighbors Cool Friends (WNCF), a program designed to help moderate-income seniors and families who have temporarily experienced a hardship but may not meet the guidelines of government programs.

    For more information, contact Ameren Illinois at (800) 755-5000 (residential customers) or (800) 232-2477 (business customers).

  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

    The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay for home energy services (primarily heating during winter months).

    Additionally, you will also qualify for assistance with your water and wastewater bills if your household is disconnected, in threat of disconnection or if you are more than $250 in arrears on your current bill.  You will apply for Low Income Household Water Assistance (LIHWAP) at the same time you complete your current LIHEAP application.

    Due to COVID-19 precautions, some local agencies are closed to the public, but applications may be made remotely.

    To help find an office serving your area, visit this complete list of LIHEAP application agencies based on county.

    For more program information, get the Help Illinois Families flyer, check out the frequently asked questions or call the LIHEAP hotline at (877) 411-WARM (9276).

    Local agencies may offer different types of LIHEAP assistance depending on funding availability and the utility service area.

  • Adaptive Adventures Recreation Opportunities

    Adaptive Adventures focuses on providing children, adults and veterans with physical disabilities the opportunity to achieve greater independence in outdoor sports while experiencing camaraderie and the benefits of recreation and adventure. Their ongoing programs, camps and clinics include cycling, climbing, kayaking, paddle boarding, dragon boat racing, skiing, snowboarding, waterskiing, wakeboarding and rafting.

    Adaptive Adventures travels the country to provide direct program services. Programming is offered to participants and their families free of charge or significantly subsidized. Adaptive Adventures believes cost should never be a barrier to someone’s participation in quality outdoor adaptive sports opportunities.

    Visit the Adaptive Adventures website for information about programs and events in Illinois.

  • American Sign Language Lessons

    If you are interested in learning or practicing the basics of American Sign Language (ASL), these sites provide free lessons to get you started:

    There are also free YouTube videos available to help you learn, practice and supplement your sign language instruction:

  • Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA

    The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for schools. These challenges continue as schools and public agencies seek to ensure support and equity for children and students experiencing the long-term adverse health effects of COVID-19, commonly referred to as long COVID.

    This resource provides information about long COVID as a disability and about schools’ and public agencies’ responsibilities for the provision of services and reasonable modifications for children and students for whom long COVID is a disability. It is issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and focuses on two Federal laws: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and Parts B and C of the Individuals with Disabilities  Education Act (IDEA).

  • Cued Speach Program for Families of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

    Cue College’s Cue Family Program provides a free, online Cued Speech class to families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

    Cued Speech combines a small number of simple hand cues with the natural mouth movements of speech to make the sounds or “phonemes” of spoken language clear through vision alone.

    The Cue Family Program includes free access for one year to the online Cue College course, “CS100 – Introduction to Cued American English – Self Study”, for parents, guardians, additional family members and caregivers of a child with hearing loss or other communication challenges.