Springfield Resources
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.
Coronavirus Economic Stimulus Payments
The passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act authorized the creation of stimulus checks for individuals and families under certain income thresholds. Most Illinoisans are eligible for these stimulus checks, though many did not receive them, leaving millions of dollars unclaimed.
Get My Payment IL Coalition is available to answer any and all stimulus payment questions. It provides a step-by-step process to follow in order to receive a stimulus check.
Return to School Preparation Guide
Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center has put together this guide to help parents who are unsure of the return-to-school options for their child with special education needs.
The Return to School Preparation Guide is designed to help you prepare for the school year no matter where learning will take place for your child. This document was created for the 2020-2021 school year but contains helpful information and a checklist to help parents prepare.
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.
Sangamon County Resource Guide
The Sangamon County Department of Community Resources strives to improve the quality of life for people in-need in Sangamon County through department programs, services and referrals that promote economic stability and/or self-motivation.
The department provides several resource guides that cover financial assistance, food pantries, health care, housing and more.
PTSD During a Pandemic for Parents with Medically Fragile Children
It’s not uncommon for parents and caregivers of children with neurologic conditions to experience PTSD.
In this video from the Child Neurology Foundation, a caregiver and a psychologist discuss the impact that this has – especially during times of isolation and stress like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 Children’s Activity Book
Children’s Hospital of Richmond developed this coloring and activity book that includes kid-friendly information on COVID-19 and tips for staying healthy and connecting with others.
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.
CDC’s School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers and Guardians
Many parents, caregivers, and guardians face new and difficult choices about how their child will return to school in the fall, such as deciding between in-person and virtual learning.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides this tool to help parents, caregivers, and guardians weigh the risks and benefits of available educational options to help them make decisions about sending their child back to school. It is organized to provide parents and caregivers with tools to help assess their child’s and family’s risk of COVID-19 and considerations that will help them make a choice, if offered, of instructional format and more.