News /

Share Your Input and Connect at Our Family Advisory Council Open Forum on May 8

April 8th, 2025

DSCC Family Advisory Council logo showing a colorful chain of stick figures holding hands in front of an outline of the state of Illinois

We invite all Illinois families of children with special healthcare needs to share their feedback and experiences at this virtual forum.

Join us for an opportunity to connect with other families and share your feedback on topics that matter to you. 

Our next Family Advisory Council (FAC) open forum is on May 8 from 9 to 11 a.m. 

This free virtual meeting is for all Illinois families of children with special healthcare needs. You do not have to be a Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) participant to attend. 

You can sign up on Zoom to join the meeting. Please note that live Spanish translation will be available during the open forum.

The FAC guides our efforts to strengthen teamwork, improve communication and empower families to have a voice in their children’s care. The council also connects families to resources and other families who are on a similar journey. 

Our FAC has also played an important role in developing:

  • Our DSCC Family Portal to help families more easily communicate and share information with their DSCC care coordination team
  • NurseNet, a digital platform that connects Illinois families needing nursing care with local home health agencies
  • “All About Me” Page templates to help providers, care coordination teams, schools and other caregivers understand the likes, strengths and needs of each child beyond their medical diagnosis
  • Our free, virtual Health Insurance Education Series to help families navigate the insurance maze and better understand their coverage and benefits
  • Improvements to our family survey process, including reducing the number of surveys that families receive 
  • Updates to our online Resource Directory and more

You can find the minutes from past meetings and more details on our website’s Family Advisory Council page.  

You can also visit our Family Stories page to learn about some of the family members who serve on the council:

If you have questions or would like more details on how to participate in the FAC, please email dsccfac@uic.edu.

We hope to see you on May 8!