Family and Caregiving Support Resources
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.
Social Security Administration
Social Security administers benefits such as Retirement, Disability, Survivor and Family. It also manages Supplemental Security Income (SSI), enrolls people in Medicare and issues Social Security numbers and cards.
The Social Security Administration website provides information on how to check your eligibility for benefits, apply for benefits and check your application or appeal status. It also has tools to help you manage your benefits and information.
For contact information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit the Social Security contact page.
Southern Illinois Pathways is a grassroots initiative led by individuals with disabilities, family members and professionals to support families navigating disability, special education and mental health systems across metro east Illinois. It offers free, plain-language workshops for families, students, young adults, and individuals with disabilities. It helps make disability rights, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), mental health supports, local services and self-advocacy easier to understand.
Southern Illinois Pathways offers free:
- Resources for families
- A local workshop series on Saturday mornings at libraries in each county. The workshops cover disability rights, IEPs and services in plain language.
- Events
Southern Illinois Pathways is a program of SIP Arts Foundation, Inc., an Illinois nonprofit advancing arts, disability advocacy and education across Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties in metro east Illinois.
For questions, please contact Southern Illinois Pathways at (618) 816-8834, (618) 623-2423 (direct) or info@southernilpathways.com.
Southern Illinois University Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Carbondale
The Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASD) at Southern Illinois University is an interprofessional training and research center providing information and services to area residents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. CASD offers ASD screenings, clinical services for children, adolescents and adults, webinars and support.
CASD faculty and students provide a variety of training and services, many at no cost to families and their children. Help is available in the following areas:
- Speech/language
- Social skills
- Emotional-behavioral concerns
- Toileting
- Sleep
- Picky eating and more
For more information, call (618) 453-7130 or email autism@siu.edu.
Spanish Coalition for Housing (SCH)
The Spanish Coalition for Housing (SCH) seeks to build generational wealth through housing counseling, financial education, advocacy and by connecting low-to-moderate income households to resources that create housing stability, homeownership and economic mobility. Services are based in Chicago and include workshops, homebuyer education, homeowner education and counseling, landlord certification and more. SCH programs also include:
- Financial education and coaching
- Rental and mortgage help
- Utility assistance
- Health and housing
For questions, please email help@sc4housing.org.
Spanish Language Resources for Families & Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Hands & Voices (Manos y Voces): Unbiased parent-to-parent support and Spanish-language resources for families and children who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (La Asociación del Habla, Lenguaje y Audición): The organization provides Spanish-language information for the public and families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Special Connections of Grundy County
Special Connections of Grundy County promotes inclusion, self-determination and learning for people with disabilities in Grundy County. Programs include a wide range of Special Olympics athletics, arts and crafts, movies, games, picnics, parties, dances and family support throughout the year.
For more information, please call (815) 230-1877 or email info@specialconnections.org.
Special Education Assessment Tip Sheet and Resource List
Family members and early care and education providers are adults who notice when the children in their care may have disabilities or developmental delays and would benefit from special education services.
The Illinois Early Learning (IEL) Project’s Special Education Assessment tip sheet series is a helpful tool for learning more about the steps in that process. The IEL also provides an Assessment for Special Education resource list.
For questions, please contact IEL online or call (877) 275-3227.
Special Father’s Network is a dad-to-dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs.
The program connects new fathers of children with special abilities with another father (a Mentor Father) who has experienced a similar situation. The program matches Mentor Fathers as closely as possible based on the child’s special needs, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic group and relationship to the child e.g., .father, stepfather, grandfather).
The Special Father’s Network is available through the 21st Century Dads Foundation, which raises awareness and resources for greater father involvement and seeks to inspire dads to be present, caring and nurturing.
For questions, please use the 21st Century Dads Contact form or email info@21stCenturyDads.org.
The Special Needs Alliance (SNA) is a national, nonprofit organization made up of law firms that provide financial planning and legal help for families with loved ones who have special needs. SNA offers resources, a “Helpful Resources for Families and Individuals with Special Needs” page, and expertise to help families navigate financial planning, disability law and connecting with nearby attorneys who focus their practices on disability law.
For more details, visit the SNA Contact Us page.