Olney Resources
Young Children at Home During the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Importance of Self-Care
Information from Zero to Three in English and Spanish about why self-care is essential for parents during the pandemic.
A self-care assessment tool from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Coronavirus Resources & Tips for Parents, Children & Others
Prevent Child Abuse America provides concrete tips for physically distancing while staying emotionally and socially connected.
Illinois’ Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) SNAP Benefits Program
The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program provides benefits to children who receive free or reduced-price school meals under the National School Lunch Program to help their families buy groceries.
P-EBT is a temporary food benefit program operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. P-EBT only provides benefits for days that students are remote learning, but without being offered a meal at school, or home for an approved COVID-related absence.
For each day that K-12 schoolchildren lack access to an in-school lunch, P-EBT provides eligible families with $6.82 in benefits per student, per day. These benefits are provided on a card that can be used like a debit card to purchase food at any grocery store that accepts LINK cards.
Beginning in March 2021, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) in collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will issue P-EBT benefits to families with eligible children for the 2020-21 school year. Families receiving regular SNAP and non-SNAP households can qualify for P-EBT benefits.
See the Frequently Asked Questions on P-EBT for more details. The Greater Chicago Food Depository also has helpful information on P-EBT on its website at www.chicagosfoodbank.org/p-ebt-benefits/.
Please contact IDHS with questions at (800) 843-6154. (Note that the Division of Specialized Care for Children does not operate this program.)
The Little Gym is sharing free online gymnastics classes for babies, toddlers and school children on its YouTube channel.
Special Olympics School of Strength
Special Olympics has created a fitness video series in partnership with WWE for Special Olympics athletes, led by Special Olympics athletes. The fitness campaign targets athletes in their teens and late 20s and features four workout videos with varying levels of difficulty in flexibility, strength, balance and endurance exercises encouraging athletes to commit to a lifetime of fitness habits.
Parenting and Ideas for Kiddos
Family Voices shares resources for parenting during this challenging time and several activity ideas for the kids.
A Parent’s Guide to Virtual Learning
This guide from the National Center for Learning Disabilities discusses how to support students with disabilities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Learning games for kids
Amazing Educational Resources Group
Amazing Educational Resources‘ primary goal is to offer free access to the best educational resources to all parents, teachers and students for the foreseeable future.