Family Support Resources
ARCH National Respite Network and Research Center provides a National Respite Locator on its website as well as additional resources for finding respite in your community.
NeuroJourney is an educational resource for parents, caregivers and clinicians navigating the ever-evolving needs of children with severe neurological impairment (SNI).
You can find both practical and medical information and insights from parents and clinicians about the social and emotional experiences common to having a child with SNI. Resources include a Caregiver Worksheet as well as guidance to help build the care team, prompts for conversations with specialists and more.
NORD: National Organization for Rare Disorders
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) offers support, information and a variety of events for clinicians, researchers, patients and families affected by rare diseases.
NORD’s Resource Center provides patients and caregivers with free webinars, fact sheets, infographics, support and advocacy groups links, and referrals for rare disorders.
NORD’s RareCare Program website provides a list of financial assistance programs that can help patients obtain life-saving or life-sustaining medication they could not otherwise afford.
NORD’s State Resource Center contains local, state and national organizations listed by state or by topic offering free or low-cost services for people impacted by rare diseases.
NORD’s free, self-paced online course “From Records to Research: Making Sense of Health Data for Rare Diseases” provides help for understanding health data, research participation and how both contribute to improving treatments and care. The course is available:
Normal Moments supports Chicagoland families with critically ill/medically complex children up to age 17 by providing help with many household and outdoor tasks. The organization matches volunteers based on the families’ needs, volunteer location and interests. Support includes:
- In-home help with necessary chores such as house cleaning, laundry, pet care and other errands
- Outdoor services such as lawn maintenance and snow removal
- Annual holiday programs
Note that Normal Moments volunteers may not provide care for dependents. A responsible adult over 18 must be in the house while a volunteer is in the house with children.
North West Housing Partnership (NWHP)
North West Housing Partnership (NWHP) programs cover a broad area of the suburban northwest, west and Chicagoland area. It offers a variety of housing and handyman programs for seniors 60 years and older and people with disabilities, 18 or over, in need of simple repairs in the communities of:
- Arlington Heights
- Buffalo Grove
- Mount Prospect
- Palatine
- Rolling Meadows
- Des Plaines
- All of Palatine and Wheeling Townships
- Oak Park Township (including Oak Park and River Forest).
NWHP also offers:
- Housing workshops and seminars
- Handyman and CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place Advancing Better Living for Elders) programs for people with disabilities ages 18 and up
- The Home Repair Accessibility Program (HRAP) in Cook, Kane and DuPage counties, funded by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), to help homeowners address home accessibility issues that affect the health or safety of their families
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 delivers food and healthy eating services across 13 counties (Boone, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will and Winnebago counties). The Northern Illinois Food Bank provides weekly drive-thru Mobile Markets with free and fresh groceries, an online food pantry, a recipes and nutrition hub, and free economic mobility learning resources.
Nourishing Hope helps individuals and families in Chicago by meeting them where they are to overcome barriers. Help includes food programs, trauma-informed mental health counseling in multiple languages, domestic violence support and a wide range of social services. Nourishing Hope offers a choice-based food distribution program that also includes:
- Monthly food distribution and additional produce pickups through five different food access programs.
- A home delivery services for people with disabilities, older adults and homebound neighbors.
- Life-changing social services such as case management, job search support, domestic violence intervention and public benefits assistance (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, healthcare, government forms).
Nurse-Family Partnership of Sangamon County
Nurse-Family Partnership of Sangamon County, provided by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, serves first-time parents in Sangamon County to help improve pregnancy outcomes, child health and development, and economic self-sufficiency.
Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) creates positive outcomes through nurse home visitors who work with families from pregnancy until the child’s 2nd birthday. Individuals may qualify for NFP of Sangamon County if they are less than 28 weeks pregnant and have financial, social or health risk factors such as:
- Loss of household income or an inability to pay for living expenses
- Chronic health condition(s) or mental health concerns
- Domestic violence
- Transportation or access to care difficulties
No proof of income is required for enrollment. Referrals can be made by providers, nurses, community services and individuals by calling (217) 545-0175, emailing at siunfp@siumed.edu or using IRIS (integrated referral and intake system) or Touch Works “SIU Nurse-Family Partnership”
Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation – Ollie’s Branch
The Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation (OHHF) offers a variety of information, resources and mental health support for families caring for children with pediatric heart conditions and heart disease. OHHF resources include:
- Free mental health services through Ollie’s Branch. All sessions are completely free regardless of insurance status.
- Financial support for families whose heart warrior is currently inpatient or has been admitted within three months of the request. OHHF Community Outreach requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and can help with housing, utilities, transportation, medical bills, and more.
OHHF’s mental health access program is open to heart-warrior families anywhere in Illinois. Financial support requests may come from anywhere in the United States.