Olney Resources
Special Needs Child Passenger Safety Resource Center
The Special Needs Child Passenger Safety Resource Center, funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation, educates parents and caregivers of children with special needs on the importance of proper child passenger safety. The Special Needs Child Passenger Resource Center’s main location is at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria. A satellite site is located at LaRabida Children’s Hospital, in Chicago. Its services include:
- A resource center for nurseries and organizations across Illinois that provides over-the-phone and in-person consultation and guidance for proper car seat usage and optimum safety.
- Education to parents, groups, hospital staff and certified child passenger safety technicians on changes in national guidelines and new seat choices.
- Proper selection, installation and fitting of special needs restraints for parents and their children.
- A short-term loan program to provide seats to parents in need.
Learn more on the Special Needs Child Passenger Safety Resource Center website.
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AGBADHH) is a non-profit organization providing resources to support hearing-impaired individuals and their families, information to help increase understanding of hearing loss, and research relating to auditory or verbal communication.
AGBADHH also offers in-service training for teachers, scholarships and conferences, and collaborates with physicians, speech/language specialists and other professionals to promote educational, vocational and social opportunities for affected individuals. Visit the AGBADHH website for more details.
Signed By Stories aims to raise mental health awareness, advocacy, education and support for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, late-deafened and deaf-disabled through storytelling.
Signed By Stories is working to create a community where deaf and hard-of-hearing people can:
- Join together and share their mental health stories
- Receive validation for their experiences
- Learn how to better support their own and the larger community’s mental health needs
- Have a platform where both deaf and hearing people have the knowledge, tools and feel empowered to take action to improve the current state of mental health care for deaf people
GiGi’s Virtual Playhouse offers opportunities to build relationships and community connections and access free programming and resources tailored for individuals with Down syndrome. The playhouse serves individuals with Down syndrome of all ages, expecting moms and dads, caregivers, siblings, parents, grandparents, doctors, educators, volunteers and more.
GiGi’s Virtual Playhouse provides a variety of programs focused on therapeutic needs, educational needs, career development and global acceptance. You can log in to the virtual playhouse to access on-demand programs for all ages, resources for supporting a loved one with Down syndrome and communities of other parents, self-advocates and volunteers.
Luella’s Lodge provides resources, retreats, support groups and non-traditional holistic therapies for families grieving the death of a child.
The non-profit includes a secluded log cabin on 10 acres in Oakwood, Ill., offering a private lake, hiking and biking trails, and other amenities to help families connect with one another through grief and healing.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Find Shelter Tool
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Find Shelter tool provides information about housing, shelter, medical clinics, food pantries and clothing resources for someone in need in your community. Visit www.hud.gov/findshelter/.
Magical Moments Foundation is a wish-granting organization for children with facial differences. Working with the children and their families, the foundation creates experiences and adventures to comfort, inspire and encourage children that face the world with a difference. Family members, medical professionals, teachers and others may nominate a child for a magical moment. To be eligible, a child must:
- Have a congenital or acquired facial difference
- Be between the ages of 3 and 18
- Not yet received a wish from another wish-granting organization
Visit the Magical Moments Foundation website for more details.
Children’s Craniofacial Association
Children’s Craniofacial Association (CCA) is a national, nonprofit organization providing resources to empower and give hope to individuals and families affected by craniofacial conditions. CCA resources include:
- Financial assistance
- Educational overviews and video library
- Craniofacial surgery care packages
- Resources for teachers and parents
Visit the Children’s Craniofacial Association website for more details.
The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation
The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation provides support and financial help to families in crisis due to pregnancy complications, premature birth/neonatal intensive care unit stay and loss. This financial assistance may help cover:
- Childcare
- Medical bills
- Transportation costs
- Rent/mortgage and utilities
- Post-loss/funeral/burial expenses
- Grief counseling (individual, couple and family)
Visit the Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation website for more details.
Children’s Burial Assistance (CBA) helps families honor their deceased children with a decent and proper burial. Families without life insurance or money saved to bury their deceased child, ages 1 through 17, may be eligible. CBA resources include:
- The “What To Do – The First 48 Hours of Your Child’s Death” guide
- A database of service providers
- Burial plots, urns and other in-kind gifts to offset the cost of a burial
Parents, legal guardians or family members may apply online for assistance. Please note: CBA does not provide financial assistance for funeral service fees or grave markers. Visit the CBA website for more details.