Marion Resources
Return to School Preparation Guide
Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center has put together this guide to help parents who are unsure of the return-to-school options for their child with special education needs.
The Return to School Preparation Guide is designed to help you prepare for the school year no matter where learning will take place for your child. This document was created for the 2020-2021 school year but contains helpful information and a checklist to help parents prepare.
SNAP Online Purchasing Program
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.
PTSD During a Pandemic for Parents with Medically Fragile Children
It’s not uncommon for parents and caregivers of children with neurologic conditions to experience PTSD.
In this video from the Child Neurology Foundation, a caregiver and a psychologist discuss the impact that this has – especially during times of isolation and stress like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 Children’s Activity Book
Children’s Hospital of Richmond developed this coloring and activity book that includes kid-friendly information on COVID-19 and tips for staying healthy and connecting with others.
Benefits.gov is an online resource to help you find federal benefits you may be eligible for in the United States. The Benefit Finder questionnaire can help you find benefits you may be eligible to receive – such as healthcare and medical assistance, financial assistance, loans and disaster relief – and direct you to the agency to apply.
CDC’s School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers and Guardians
Many parents, caregivers, and guardians face new and difficult choices about how their child will return to school in the fall, such as deciding between in-person and virtual learning.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides this tool to help parents, caregivers, and guardians weigh the risks and benefits of available educational options to help them make decisions about sending their child back to school. It is organized to provide parents and caregivers with tools to help assess their child’s and family’s risk of COVID-19 and considerations that will help them make a choice, if offered, of instructional format and more.
Remote Learning for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind
This document from the Illinois State Board of Education provides suggestions and ideas related to remote learning opportunities for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) or deafblind (DB), including ideas that do not depend on technology. It also provides resources for additional information related to services, programming and information intended to enhance learning opportunities and the functional development of students who are DHH or DB.
The document is available at www.isbe.net/Documents/DHH-Ideas-During-Pandemic.pdf.
The ADA National Network provides information, guidance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The ADA National Network Disability Law Handbook
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 Arc’s Disability Voter Guide
The Arc has developed voting resources in plain language and Spanish, including a disability voter guide and sample questions for candidates.