Resource Directory /

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.

  • 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

  • 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 with rpreparing for and responding to COVID-19 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.

  • COVID Rent and Utility Assistance Programs in Lake County

    Community Partners for Affordable Housing has information on emergency rent and utility assistance programs to help Lake County, Illinois households whose incomes have decreased due to COVID-19. Their website outlines the different programs and provides eligibility guidelines.

    If you need help submitting your application, accessing computer equipment, are unsure which program may be better for you or have other questions, please contact Emergency Assistance Coordinator, Toni Martinez, at tmartinez@cpahousing.org or (847) 263-7478 ext 30.

  • SNAP Online Purchasing Program

    The Illinois Department of Human Services is offering online purchasing for more than 1.8 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers across a million households.

    Online SNAP will give families easier access to food during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Busy parents will no longer have to stress about how they can pick their kids up from school and make it to the grocery store before dinner. And those working multiple jobs or the late shift won’t have to rush to make it before the store closes. All families will have another option to independently secure the food they need.

  • Benefits.gov

    Benefits.gov is an online resource to help you find federal benefits you may be eligible for in the United States. The Benefit Finder questionnaire can help you find benefits you may be eligible to receive – such as healthcare and medical assistance, financial assistance, loans and disaster relief –  and direct you to the agency to apply.

  • Youth and Family Center of McHenry County

    The Youth and Family Center of McHenry County (YFC) is dedicated to helping people help themselves through a variety of programs and services. YFC can help families with registering for child care and food assistance, understanding and translating documents, and finding financial, mental health and employment services. YFC also provides after-school and summer programming, adult education and engagement programs, bi-cultural navigation services, a community garden, English classes and more.

    You can review the center’s flyer, provided in Spanish and English, for more information.

    You can schedule an appointment online or call the main office in McHenry at (815) 322-2357. Please provide a full name and phone number to receive a callback.