Family and Caregiving Support Resources
To be able to care for the people you love, you must first take care of yourself. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides tips, tools and resources to help caregivers take care of themselves.
Self-Help Legal Assistance Clinic from Governors State University
Governors State University’s Self-Help Legal Assistance Clinic (GSU-LC) provides free self-help legal assistance and non-legal resources to low-income Illinois residents navigating the court system without legal representation. The clinic’s team of attorneys, social workers and volunteers works under the supervision of a licensed attorney and social worker to increase access to legal services in underrepresented communities. GSU-LC offers pro se and free legal assistance in the areas of family law, immigration, housing and expungement, and can help with:
- Understanding legal rights and laws
- Filing depositions, settlement negotiations and court appearances
- Reviewing and explaining court orders and filings
For questions, contact GSU-LC at (708) 235-7553 or email legalclinic@govst.edu.
Service Provider Identification & Exploration Resource (SPIDER)
The Service Provider Identification & Exploration Resource (SPIDER) is an online directory that can be used to locate providers serving Illinois children. Search options include specialty, services, language, age, and the city or county where you wish to obtain care.
Services, Inc. (CFC #15) Early Learning
Service, Inc. of Illinois is dedicated to helping people with developmental delays and disabilities find the services and supports they need to live a better life. Programs and offices are organized by county.
Child and Family Connections #15 serves children ages birth to 3 with disabilities and their families residing in Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and LaSalle Counties.
For information on how to make a referral, please call the CFC referral coordinator at (815) 768-3730.
Families can also visit Service, Inc.’s Frequently Asked Questions page for more information and more details for requesting help anywhere in Illinois.
Sesame Street in Communities is an online community that provides multimedia tools in both English and Spanish for parents, caregivers and providers to support children from birth to age 6.
The site covers a wide range of topics including school readiness, healthy minds and bodies, emergency planning and tough issues such as divorce, hunger and other traumatic experiences. It features videos, activities, printables and digital interactives fearing Sesame Street characters.
Share Our Spare collects new and gently-used items for children ages 0-5 and donates them to low-income families living in Metropolitan Chicago. Items are not available directly: instead, Share our Spare reaches families in need by partnering with local social services organizations that provide their clients with needed social services such as parenting classes, early childhood education, housing referrals, job readiness training, and behavioral health services.
Share Our Spare partners with social service agencies representing 120 zip codes in the following counties: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, McLean, Will and Winnebago.
Sibling Grief and Bereavement Toolkit for Children and Teens
The Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition’s (PPCC) Sibling Grief and Bereavement Toolkit aims to address the needs and concerns of children and teens who have experienced the death of their sibling with medical complexities. The toolkit provides information to help adults understand how children and teens may process their grief and how to provide comfort to help them heal.
The toolkit can help with:
- The many feelings siblings might experience
- Therapeutic activities families can do together
- More resources for encouraging and guiding conversations
The Sibling Leadership Network provides siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters. Their website offers ways to get involved, policy and advocacy information, and family-specific resources, including resources for teenage/young adult siblings, adult siblings, and parents and family members.
If you have any questions, please use the online Sibling Leadership Network contact form.
The Sibling Support Project is a national program dedicated to the lifelong and ever-changing concerns of millions of brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental and mental health needs.
The project offers support, resources, opportunities to connect with other siblings and “Sibshops” for school-age brothers and sisters of kids with special needs.
The Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (PPCC) and Courageous Parents Network (CPN) provide resources to help parents, caregivers and medical professionals focus on giving special attention to siblings who are living and sharing their lives with a brother or sister with medical complexities.
Their Sibling Support Toolkit provides videos, activities, podcasts, a guided pathway and other resources to support parents and siblings as they navigate the ups, downs, setbacks and joys that make up their day-to-day lives.