Family and Caregiving Support Resources
National Association for Down Syndrome
The National Association for Down Syndrome (NADS) serves individuals with Down syndrome and their families. NADS’ website provides a variety of webinars, publications and resources for the Chicago metropolitan area and beyond.
NADS also offers a “Congratulations Basket and Referral Program.” Please note that the organization can only deliver baskets to specific Chicago-area hospitals.
For questions, contact NADS at (630) 325-9112 or info@nads.org.
National Association of the Deaf
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) preserves and promotes the civil, human and linguistic rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the United States and U.S. territories. Resources include videos in American Sign Language (ASL) on a wide range of topics, a list of universities and education resources by state, webinars and more for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, their families and friends.
National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management
The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) at Utah State University supports Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs throughout the United States. NCHAM helps EHDI programs ensure that children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) are identified through newborn, infant and early childhood hearing screening and receive the diagnostic and early intervention services they need.
NCHAM provides:
- Technical assistance
- Training, video tutorials and podcasts
- Communication options and resources
- Access to information about evidence-based practices
- Partnership opportunities with national EHDI systems of care organizations and other key stakeholders, including those that represent and/ or serve families with children who are DHH.
National Center for Learning Disabilities
The National Center for Learning Disabilities provides resources for parents and caregivers, educators, young adults and learning disability champions.
National Center on Deafblindness
The National Center on Deafblindness (NCDB) is part of a network of projects for children and youth with deaf-blindness (birth through 21), providing information and learning and development tools for families and educators. NCDB resources include:
- An overview of deaf-blindness
- Practice guides and professional development
- Spanish resources
NCDB includes state deaf-blind projects in every state, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Pacific Basin and the Virgin Islands. For questions regarding Illinois, visit the Illinois Deafblind Project website for more details.
National Center on Deafblindness
The National Center on Deafblindness (NCDB) is a national technical assistance center that works with state deafblind projects and other partners to improve educational outcomes and quality of life for children ages 0 -21 who are deafblind and their families. NCDB focuses on national initiatives and provides resources in key areas, including:
- Identification and referral
- Family engagement
- Transition to adulthood
- Factsheets, websites, articles, videos and other resources
- Increasing availability of qualified early intervention (EI) providers, teachers and service professionals
- State Deafblind projects
If you have any questions or need help, please fill out the online form on NCDB’s website.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network Resources for Parents and Caregivers
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides a variety of resources for parents, caregivers and youth related to different types of childhood trauma, including coping with hard times, grief, hospitalizations and more.
Resources are available in English and Spanish.
The National Diaper Bank Network connects and supports the country’s more than 200 community-based diaper banks that collect, store and distribute free diapers to struggling families. The website includes a list of member diaper banks in Illinois.
The National Disability Institute (NDI) collaborates with organizations nationwide to empower people with disabilities and their families to make informed financial decisions and build a better future. NDI offers a wide variety of webinars, tip sheets, information and resources to help people with disabilities achieve employment, financial stability and independence.
NDI resources include:
- The Financial Resilience Center (FRC)
- Guides on funding and selecting accessible transportation
- Financial wellness worksheets and quick reference guides
- Live and on-demand webinars and training
If you have questions, please email info@ndi-inc.org or call (202) 296-2040.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse.
Contacts to The Hotline can expect highly-trained, expert advocates to offer free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education and referral services in over 200 languages.
Call (800) 799-SAFE (7233) or (800) 787-3224 (TTY). You can also text “START” to 88788 or chat live on The Hotline website.