Non-English/Multilingual Resources Resources
Chinese Mutual Aid Association
Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA) is a community-based social services agency targeting the low-income immigrant and refugee community. CMAA provides in-home services, adult education classes, citizenship and immigration resources for people from around the world, employment readiness help, community events and more. Staff members speak a variety of languages including Cantonese, Burmese, Mandarin and Vietnamese.
City of Chicago Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights
The City of Chicago Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights (IMRR) partners with community organizations, academic institutions and the private sector to provide a wide range of information, resources and services.
IMMR’s website resources include:
- A Resources Hub that includes the Know Your Rights Guide (Translations are available in Spanish, French, Simplified Chinese, Ukrainian and Haitian Creole)
- First steps and essential checklist for new arrivals
- Citizenship requirements and how to apply for citizenship
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) eligibility and resources
- Community connections and culture, and more
Cleft and Craniofacial Condition Resources
Children with a cleft lip, cleft palate or craniofacial disorder often have complex needs and may undergo a variety of procedures and therapies. Often, these children need multiple pediatric specialists and surgeons to provide comprehensive care
HealthyChildren.org, the parenting website of the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides cleft and craniofacial resources and articles for parents and caregivers to help answer their questions.
Coloring Pages for Caregivers
UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children has created adult coloring pages to help caregivers relieve stress and practice mindfulness. Four designs are available in English and Spanish:
Lighthouse (Lighthouse Spanish)
Sunflowers (Sunflowers Spanish)
Conquering CHD provides awareness, knowledge, community and research to conquer congenital heart disease and defects (CHDs).
The Conquering CHD website includes resources to help patients and caregivers understand CHDs from childhood through the teen years and adulthood.
Cued Speech Program for Families of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children
Cue College’s Cue Family Program provides a free, online Cued Speech class to families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
Cued Speech combines a small number of simple hand cues with the natural mouth movements of speech to make the sounds or “phonemes” of spoken language clear through vision alone.
The Cue Family Program includes free access for one year to the online Cue College course, “CS100 – Introduction to Cued American English – Self Study”, for parents, guardians, additional family members and caregivers of a child with hearing loss or other communication challenges.
DHS List of Community Service Agencies Serving Immigrants in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) provides a statewide list of community service agencies serving immigrants. The list includes:
- The agency name and contact information
- Their geographic service areas
- Citizenship, case management and other services provided
- Languages available
Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis (DGAGSL) and Metro-East/Southern Illinois Chapters
The Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis (DGAGSL) serves, supports and celebrates the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. DGAGSL and its chapters provide educational programs, resources and events to help increase awareness and connect families with the help they need for every stage of their child’s life.
These DGAGSL community groups provide support and coordinate events in southern Illinois and the greater St. Louis area:
- DSAGSL Metro-East Illinois Community Group serves Belleville, O’Fallon, Shiloh, and surrounding areas. Contact Abigail Bosslet at abigail@dsagsl.org or call (314) 833-7560.
- DSAGSL Southern Illinois Community Group serves Carbondale, Creal Springs and surrounding areas. Contact Abigail Bosslet for information.
- DSAGSL Down Syndrome & Autism Dual Diagnosis Group serves families in Missouri and Illinois. Contact Linda Kamphorst at linda@dsagsl.org or (314) 833-8214.
- DSAGSL Black Family Network serves families in Missouri and Illinois. Contact Makini Anwisye at makini@dsagsl.org or (314) 833-7586.
DSCC and Illinois LEND’s Transition Resources for Hispanic Teens in the Chicago Area
The transition to adulthood can be a challenging time for both adolescents and their parents. These challenges can be more difficult when the adolescent has a disability.
Illinois LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) and the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) partnered to provide helpful information about the unique challenges Hispanic families can face during the transition to adulthood. This resource list is aimed at transition-age teenagers and their families in the Chicago area:
DSCC Carbon Monoxide and Fire Safety Handout
Basic fire and carbon monoxide protection are key components of maintaining a safe home. The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) created this handout to provide helpful guidelines on the equipment necessary to protect your home from these preventable dangers.