Rockford Resources
Since 2009, American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) members have volunteered to provide high-quality orthodontic care for children of families with financial need.
Visit the AAO website for information on eligibility and how to apply.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
(800) 662-HELP (4357)
TTY: (800) 487-4889
The Crisis Text Line serves anyone in any type of crisis, 24-hours a day. Trained crisis counselors will respond and help you:
- English, text HOME to 741741
- Spanish, text HOLA to 741741 or text to 442-AYUDAME in WhatsApp
If you are a caregiver, the Crisis Text Line and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers (RCI) have teamed up to provide free, 24/7 support to help you navigate the stresses and demands of providing care. Caregivers needing mental health support can text TOUGH to 741741.
The Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health provides frequently-asked questions, tips and resources for how to handle traumatic events.
Information includes possible symptoms after experiencing a traumatic event and when to seek help from a trained professional.
Get Out the Vaccine is a website from the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities that provides information to help people with disabilities and their families make informed decisions about being vaccinated for COVID-19.
A Family Toolkit: Pediatric-to-Adult Health Care Transition
Got Transition and its National Family Health Care Transition Advisory Group have developed a new toolkit for families to use to guide their youth’s transition from pediatric to adult health care.
The Family Toolkit includes easy-to-use resources for youth and families to help youth assume more independence in taking care of their own health and using health services. Materials include a transition timeline, questions to ask your doctor, what turning 18 means for one’s health and more.
Bright by Text is a free text messaging service that delivers high-quality information to families to help them foster a child’s healthy growth, based on their exact age and developmental stage.
Available in English and Spanish, the service covers children from prenatal through age 8. Topics covered include brain development, speech and language skills, social-emotional development, reading and writing skills, nutrition, mental health, school readiness, and more.
All information is provided by trusted content partners, including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sesame Street, PBS Kids for Parents, and Zero to Three.
Families can sign up by texting BRIGHT to 274448, or by using the form on the Bright by Text website. Text messages are customized by the child’s due date or age and zip code.
The Courageous Parents Network aims to empower, support and equip families and providers caring for children with serious illness.
Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Clinic Directory
The Adult Congenital Heart Association’s ACHD Clinic Directory provides information on ACHD Board Certified providers certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and ACHA ACHD Accredited Centers.
You can search for clinics by zip code and state. You can find more details and health information on the Adult Congenital Heart Association’s website.
Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes
Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes provides safe, pasteurized donor human milk to premature and critically ill babies.
Milk Bank WGL also supports moms who donate milk after loss and distributes reduced-cost or free donor milk to chronically ill middle and low-income children.
This non-profit organization serves over 50 hospitals and hundreds of families throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.