COVID-19 Resources
National Federation of Families Home Resources
The National Federation of Families shares resources for parents and caregivers to use at home.
These include educational resources, activities and more that can support families of children and youth who have mental health and substance use needs.
Offers emotional support from a trained advocate to help you become an empowered and stronger parent. Parent advocates can list, offer emotional support, help you problem-solve, connect you with local resources, help you explore new resources and more.
The National Parent Helpline is available Monday through Friday from 12 – 9 p.m. at (855) 427-2736 (855-4A PARENT).
Navigating Financial Health During Difficult Times
The National Disability Institute (NDI)’s Financial Resilience Center provides resources and assistance to help those with disabilities and chronic health conditions navigate financially through difficult times, like the COVID-19 crisis. The website features videos and resources on topics including employment and unemployment, public benefits, housing, managing money and Social Security benefits.
NDI’s Financial Resilience Center also includes:
- The “Faces of Financial Wellness” video series featuring individuals from Illinois sharing their experiences in Spanish
- A financial wellness toolkit in English and Spanish/ Recursos en Español
- Videos and financial resources designed for individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing
North Shore Gas Assistance Options
If you cannot pay your energy bill due to financial difficulties, North Shore Gas has flexible payment arrangement plans or energy assistance options that may help.
They also include information about these programs:
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
- Share the Warmth, company- and customer-funded heating grants
Northeast Community Fund in Decatur
Northeast Community Fund helps families in the Decatur and Macon County community with food, clothing, household goods and funding for utility payments, obtaining IDs, baby formula and wipes, emergency lodging and prescription medicines. The organization’s food pantry provides monthly food baskets to those in need. It also operates a microfinance program and a program for families to work with a staff member and mentor to achieve short- and long-term goals to move towards self-sufficiency.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank partners with 900 feeding programs across 13 counties to serve our neighbors needing food. Please use the locator map below to find a food pantry or soup kitchen near you. Use the contact information provided to confirm hours of distribution and residency requirements.
Oak Lawn Community High School Summer Food Service Program
Free meals will be available for curbside pick-up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Each daily meal packet will include breakfast, lunch, snack and beverage items. The meals will be distributed at Oak Lawn Community High School from the Performing Arts Center/Door #14.
OSF HealthCare COVID-19 Nurse Hotline and Information
OSF HealthCare has a COVID-19 Nurse Hotline, available 24-7, at (833) OSF-KNOW (833-673-5669). More guidance and screening information is available at https://www.osfhealthcare.org/covid19/.
Oswegoland Park District Financial Assistance
The Oswegoland Park Foundation donated $25,000 to the Oswegoland Park District to help fund the district’s financial assistance program. The program enables families experiencing financial hardship to receive reduced fees for park district programs.
Visit the Oswegoland website for more information about available financial assistance.
Parent and Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides information for parents and caregivers to help them think about how an infectious disease outbreak might affect their family — both physically and emotionally — and what they can do to help their family cope.
Information is available in both English and Spanish.