Springfield Resources
Resources and Strategies to Support Children with Disabilities and Their Families During COVID-19
COVID-19 has deeply impacted early childhood programs, children and families, and their communities.
This resource list, jointly created by the Office of Special Education Programs, the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, the Office of Head Start and the OHS TA National Centers, may be helpful when seeking guidance and resources to help leaders, services providers, teachers, support staff, children and families during reopening and continuity of services.
COVID-19 Parenting Tip Sheets and Activities
Parenting for Lifelong Health has developed open-access online parenting resources to support families during COVID-19. Their Parenting Tip Sheets are available in 100-plus languages and provide useful reminders, suggestions, strategies and activities to help caregivers support themselves, their children and their families during the pandemic.
RentAssistance provides a directory of rental assistance agencies and organizations that will help you pay your rent. Some listings are government organizations other are non-profits and charities that offer rental assistance programs.
Each organization has its own eligibility rules and conditions and you are encouraged to call directly to find out what you need to do.
The Illinois Department of Labor is launching Back to Business Illinois, a free, voluntary service that connects small businesses of 250 employees or less with consultants who will help them address workplace safety and health issues related to the coronavirus and create a plan to ensure a safe, healthy and productive environment for employees and visitors.
These one-hour confidential consultations take place virtually, via teleconference.
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning aims to support and encourage adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families to plan for the future.
The Center provides reliable information and assistance to individuals with I/DD, their family members and friends, professionals who support them and other members of the community on areas such as person-centered planning, decision-making, housing options and financial planning.
Find Food IL Community Food Map
Find Food IL is a community food map that provides a list of places offering free food or meals in your community. You can find food pantries, stores and markets that accept SNAP/LINK or WIC coupons, and more resources that are close to you.
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center – Distance Learning Resources
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center provides free digital resources that you can use to continue engaging your child or student in social and emotional learning. Information includes infographics showing the relationship between COVID-19, distance learning and the potential for cyberbullying.
Everyone’s ability to make decisions changes across a lifetime including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning created this handout to help individuals with IDD and their families learn how to make, review and adjust a decision-making plan throughout a person’s life to maximize their ability to make their own decisions.
There are many myths about guardianship that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families should understand.
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning has created this handout to help.
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have the same right to make decisions about their lives as people without disabilities. It is important to recognize and respect that right.
This handout from The Arc’s Center for Future Planning provides information about available supports to help people with IDD to make decisions.