General Resources
Champaign County Epilepsy Support Group
The Champaign County Epilepsy Support Group “You Are Not Alone” offers support for anyone with epilepsy or a seizure disorder and their loved ones. The group meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green Street, in Champaign.
For more information, contact Kristen at kristen@epilepsyadvocacynetwork.org or (217) 621-5842.
Champaign-Urbana Healthy Beginnings
Healthy Beginnings is a free, evidence-based initiative for moms in the Champaign, Urbana and Savoy area who are first-time moms less than 29 weeks pregnant and moms with other children who are pregnant. Its goal is to help ensure children and their families have an opportunity to be prosperous and live the healthiest life they can.
Healthy Beginnings works with eligible mothers and their families to help bring the healthcare, support and resources together that fit individual circumstances, including:
- Nurse home visiting care/support for pregnant moms & their families (with interpreter services)
- Mobile clinic services
- Child and family education
- Employment opportunities
- Access to healthy food
For more information or to make a referral, call (217) 365-7925 or email referral@cuhealthybeginnings.com.
Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation
The Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation provides opportunities and resources to critically and chronically ill children and their families.
The program includes The Tiana Fund, which provides assistance to economically at-risk persons or families in need that will strengthen their ability to care for themselves, enhance their stability and security, and improve their quality of life or their ability to contribute to the community. Applications are only available at Chicago-area hospitals or pre-approved community organizations.
Charting the LifeCourse Nexus Training and Technical Resource Center
Charting the LifeCourse Nexus or LifeCourse Nexus framework was developed by families to help individuals with disabilities at any age or stage of life and their families develop a vision for a good life. LifeCourse Nexus provides free infographics, YouTube videos and step-by-step tip sheets to help people of all ages and abilities with identifying their dreams and desires, thinking about what they need to know and do, identifying how to find or develop supports, and discovering what it takes to live the lives they want to live.
The LifeCourse Nexus Library features a wide range of downloadable materials to help with the transition from school to community, including:
- Person-centered tools for exploring your desires and unique needs
- The family perspective booklet and tip sheets
- Kits (The Life Domains) focusing on life stages and exploring employment, healthy living, housing options and other areas
- Videos and step-by-step tip sheets on using the Integrated Supports Star tools to bring everything together
Chicago Autism Network and Therapy Assistance Grants
The Chicago Autism Network is a nonprofit dedicated to helping locals find and afford effective autism therapy and supports.
The network offers therapy assistance grants for anyone living in Illinois with a current autism diagnosis. It also holds free monthly Autism Parent Workshops.
The Chicago Autism Network also provides a statewide Autism Services Directory to help families connect with services that meet their needs closer to home.
Child & Family Connections of McHenry County
Child & Family Connections (CFC) is the starting point for the referral of children under 36 months of age to the Part C Early Intervention Service System in McHenry County. Early Intervention services are designed to meet an infant’s or toddler’s needs if they are experiencing issues related to five specific areas of development: physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional and adaptive.
For more information, click on the brochure in English or Spanish.
Childproofing Your Home Toolkit
As you welcome a new baby, prepare for toddlerhood or relocate to a new home, it is important to provide a safe environment for your child. The Illinois Early Learning Project put together this Childproofing Your Home Toolkit that includes general guidance, helpful checklists, videos and additional resources.
Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs in Emergencies
All children have unique needs in emergencies, but care for children with special healthcare needs is often more complex because of their various health conditions and extra care requirements. They may have a hard time moving from one place to another, urgent or constant medical needs, difficulty communicating or have trouble with transitioning to different situations. A disaster can present all these difficulties at once.
The CDC provides information on how to prepare and respond so you can help maintain calm and keep your family safe.
Children’s Burial Assistance (CBA) helps families honor their deceased children with a decent and proper burial. Families without life insurance or money saved to bury their deceased child, ages 1 through 17, may be eligible. CBA resources include:
- The “What To Do – The First 48 Hours of Your Child’s Death” guide
- A database of service providers
- Burial plots, urns and other in-kind gifts to offset the cost of a burial
Parents, legal guardians or family members may apply online for assistance. Please note: CBA does not provide financial assistance for funeral service fees or grave markers. Visit the CBA website for more details.
Chinese American Service League
The Chinese American Service League (CASL) is a nonprofit agency with 40-plus years of experience educating youth, caring for seniors, training the workforce, placing immigrants on the path to citizenship and securing the housing and financial wellbeing for families and individuals in the Chicago Chinese community and beyond.
CASL has programs centered around children and youth development, senior wellness and independence, employment and financial empowerment, community and family wellbeing, Center for Social Impact and legal services.