Resource Directory /

Rockford Resources

  • Magical Moments Foundation

    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

    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.

  • Catholic Charities Social Services Archdiocese of Chicago

    Catholic Charities Social Services Archdiocese of Chicago provides help including homelessness prevention, food and basic needs, and crisis assistance. needshelp and crisis services. It also connects people to other organizations that can help with emergency assistance in Chicago, suburban Cook County and Lake County. Services include:

    • Burial and funeral assistance
    • Case management services
    • Emergency rental assistance
    • Utility assistance
    • Emergency shelter services
    • Stabilization services (pharmaceutical assistance, transportation assistance, clothing vouchers)

    The organization also provides family support programs, including child care and pregnancy and parenting support services, domestic violence support, behavioral health programs, and immigrant and refugee support.

  • National Center on Deaf-Blindness

    The National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) is part of a network of projects for children and youth with deaf-blindness (birth through 21) providing information and learning and development tools for families and educators. NCDB resources include:

    • An overview of deaf-blindness
    • Practice guides and professional development
    • Spanish resources

    NCDB includes state deaf-blind projects in every state, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Pacific Basin and the Virgin Islands.

  • Funeral and Burial Benefits Program

    The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Funeral and Burial Benefits Program pays for funeral and burial expenses when a person’s resources and all other sources of payment are less than the DHS standard payment rates.

    More information and forms for submitting a claim are available online or at your local Family Community Resource Center (FCRC). Use the DHS Office Locator to find your local FCRC.

  • Package of Hope for NICU Families

    Lily’s Hope Foundation offers free customized care packages to families with premature babies either in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or when they are being discharged.

    Its Package of Hope program provides packages customized to a family’s specific needs. A sibling care package is also available.

    Packages are shipped throughout the United States based on availability. One Package of Hope per family.

  • “Find Help” Resource Locator

    The Findhelp.org website allows individuals to search and connect to support no matter where they live. Share your zip code to find area resources that include financial assistance, housing, food pantries, medical care, transportation and other free or reduced-cost help.