Rockford Resources
Preparations for Caregivers During COVID-19 and Beyond
Parents and caregivers of children with medical complexity often focus solely on their child’s health and wellbeing. But what happens when the parent/caregiver gets sick?
It’s a crucial question that families must consider. Advance preparations can help parents/caregivers reduce stress, lighten their mental load and protect the child’s health and safety during a family illness and other emergencies.
Pediatric doctors from Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provide advice on how to start these conversations with your pediatrician during the pandemic and beyond.
Guidance for Return to School for Transplant Families
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provides this guidance to help parents decide if their transplanted child or their siblings should return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes recommendations on minimum requirements to prevent infection and how to assess your child and family’s risk.
Return to School for Youth with Special Healthcare Needs
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago put together the “Return to School for Youth with Special Healthcare Needs: Key Questions and Considerations for Families” document to help families decide how their child will participate in their education during the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes questions to discuss with your child’s doctor and questions to discuss with your child’s school.
Parent Guide to Special Education
“Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois” is a guide for parents, teachers, administrators and others to learn about the educational rights of children who receive special education and related services due to disabilities that affect their ability to achieve academically.
Special education laws and procedures are complicated and can be difficult to understand. This guide from the Illinois State Board of Education will clarify some of the procedures of special education. It contains information about many of the most common topics related to the broad special education landscape, from identification and evaluation to transition planning and complaint procedures
Guidance for Evaluating a Child’s Medical Tolerance for Use of Face Coverings in Schools
This document from the Illinois Department of Public Health provides guidance to pediatric healthcare providers for evaluating a child’s medical tolerance for use of face coverings in schools and recommendations for evaluating symptomatic individuals.
The Illinois Department of Public Health provides coronavirus disease (COVID-19) travel recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help inform residents of potential risks associated with traveling during the pandemic.
The information indicates countries and U.S. states with increased risk of COVID-19 based on case rates.
Child Neurology Foundation’s Back-to-School Resources During COVID-19
The Child Neurology Foundation partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics, medical and educational experts, and families to develop a Back to School Educational Series for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Easing the Financial Burden on Family Caregivers: Translating 1915(c) Appendix K
Many families are struggling to piece together continuity of care for their children with special health care needs during the pandemic. Easing the Financial Burden on Family Caregivers: Translating 1915(c) Appendix K, an article from the Center for Health Care Strategies, discusses options for states to assist families, including paid family caregiving.
COVID-19 Preparedness Tool for Families and Caregivers
The Stanford Health Literacy Lab in collaboration with families and providers developed the COVID-19 Preparedness Tool for Families and Caregivers to help families of children with special healthcare needs prepare for the pandemic in a variety of settings.
The user-friendly tool, also available in Spanish, provides tips for home, healthcare settings, schools and work. It also offers advice for coping with family stress.
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) provides the “Return to School Post-COVID-19 Closure Considerations for Students with Disabilities and Special Healthcare Needs” document to guide school nurses when planning for the return to school for students with disabilities and special healthcare needs.
Students with disabilities and special healthcare needs pose a unique challenge to school reentry in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school nurse is an integral member of student-specific 504 and IEP teams, having knowledge regarding development, chronic health conditions and COVID-19. The NASN concludes that hrough conscientious, collaborative planning with primary healthcare providers, families and staff, most students with disabilities and special healthcare needs can attend school when adaptations and accommodations are provided.