Resource Directory /

Rockford 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

    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

  • Community Alternatives Unlimited

    Community Alternatives Unlimited (CAU) provides a wide range of services for people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as programs to help economically challenged families with health and wellness during pregnancy and birth.

    CAU provides residents of the city of Chicago (north side), several northern suburbs and Lake County with services and programs that include:

    • Interview for Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS)
    • Pre-Admission Screening (PAS) and determinations for eligibility for services
    • Individual services and supports
    • Connecting new mothers to appropriate medical care, eligible public benefits, support services and community resources
    • Information and referral regarding prenatal care, checkups and immunizations, breastfeeding, infant development, family planning and parenting

  • GiGi’s Playhouse: Down Syndrome Achievement Centers

    GiGi’s Playhouse: Down Syndrome Achievement Centers provide free, nationwide on-site and virtual educational, therapeutic-based and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community. Programs are available for individuals of all ages focusing on speech and language, social skills, cooking and fitness.

    GiGi’s Playhouse Illinois locations include:

    • Chicago
    • Deerfield
    • Fox Valley
    • Hoffman Estates
    • McHenry County
    • Quad Cities
    • Rockford
    • Tinley Park

  • GiGi’s Virtual Playhouse

    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.

  • Lake Forest Open Lands Association All-Terrain Outdoor Wheelchair Access

    Lake Forest Open Lands Association in Lake County has partnered with Access Ability Wisconsin (AAW) to become the first host location in Illinois for an AAW all-terrain outdoor wheelchair and trailer for use at their preserves and in the community. The outdoor wheelchair is free to use at a Lake Forest Open Lands’ preserve or the AAW trailer can be used to tow it to another site. Reservations and a deposit (refundable) are required.

    Lake Forest Open Lands has nearly 900 acres of open space. Visit the outdoor wheelchair reservation page for more details.

  • Luella’s Lodge

    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 Penguin Project

    The Penguin Project provides a supportive environment for children with a wide range of disabilities to explore the performing arts. The program encourages children and young adults ages 10 to 24 to discover their creative talents, build self-confidence and make new friends by rehearsing and performing a modified version of a well-known Broadway musical. The young artists work side-by-side with age-level “peer mentors” through four months of rehearsals and the final performance.

    The project has several chapters in Illinois. Visit The Penguin Project website for more details.