Family Support Resources
Camp Erin Overnight Grief Camp
Camp Erin Chicago is part of a national bereavement program for youth grieving the death of a significant person in their lives. Free of charge for all families, Camp Erin combines traditional, fun camp activities with grief education and emotional support for children and teens ages 6 to 17 years old.
Camp Erin Chicago takes place in Delavan, Wisc., in July. Registration usually opens in December for the following summer. If you are interested in enrolling your child or family in Camp Erin, please email Camp Director Bryan Heidel at bheidel@nush.org, or call (773) 569.9553.
Caregiver Action Network (CAN) is a national nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease or the frailties old age.
CAN provides a Family Caregiver Toolbox on a variety of topics.
CAN also has a “Caring for Rare Disease Caregivers” website that includes helpful information, tips, and resources, including communicating effectively with healthcare professionals, looking for respite care, handling complex emotions and more.Caregiver Stress and Burnout Information
The demands of caregiving can be exhausting and overwhelming. HelpGuide has helpful information and steps you can take to rein in stress and regain a sense of balance, joy and hope in your life.
Information includes the signs and symptoms of caregiver stress and burnout and how to take care of your own health.
Caring Conversations Toolkit for Families and Providers
The Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (PPCC) offers a Caring Conversations Toolkit to help determine when and how to start a conversation about hospice or palliative care. Separate toolkits targeting the needs of families and providers are available.
Each toolkit offers a series of questions to consider in deciding if it is time to start a conversation about hospice or palliative care for a child with serious illness and how to navigate the discussion.
CaringBridge is a no-cost, nonprofit health platform that surrounds family caregivers with support while they are caring for a loved one on a health journey.
CaringBridge offers tools to:
- Share and document a health journey
- Simplify care coordination
- Connect caregivers with a supportive community
CaringInfo, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers to make decisions about serious illness and end-of-life care and services.
The site provides guides and resources about topics including advance directives, palliative care, caregiving and hospice care.
Caritas Family Solutions is a non-profit social services agency that works to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of people in southern Illinois.
Services include adoption support, foster care, community integrated living arrangements, counseling, parenting classes, pregnancy care and more.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Joliet
Catholic Charities Diocese of Joliet serves people in need in Will, Grundy, DuPage, Kendall, Kankakee, Ford and Iroquois counties. Its programs and services include:
- Information and assistance
- Caregiver support groups
- Crisis intervention
- Volunteer opportunities for older adults and persons with disabilities
- Mobile food pantry
Catholic Charities Social Services Archdiocese of Chicago
Catholic Charities Social Services Archdiocese of Chicago provides help including homelessness prevention, food and basic needs, and crisis assistance. needshelp and crisis services. It also connects people to other organizations that can help with emergency assistance in Chicago, suburban Cook County and Lake County. Services include:
- Burial and funeral assistance
- Case management services
- Emergency rental assistance
- Utility assistance
- Emergency shelter services
- Stabilization services (pharmaceutical assistance, transportation assistance, clothing vouchers)
The organization also provides family support programs, including child care and pregnancy and parenting support services, domestic violence support, behavioral health programs, and immigrant and refugee support.
CDC’s Developmental Milestones for Children
From birth to age 5, your child should reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act and move.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides developmental milestones checklists to help track your child’s development and act early if you have a concern.
The CDC also has a free Milestone Tracker App with photos and videos that illustrate each developmental milestone. You can use the app to track your child’s development and find out what to do if you have concerns.