Family Support Resources
Easterseals Support for Caregivers
Easterseals offers a variety of programs and resources to provide support and care for caregivers, including respite care, a step-by-step caregiving guide and more.
El Mercadito (Nourishing Hope)
El Mercadito is a partnership between La Casa Norte and Nourishing Hope. This partnership provides Chicago residents fresh food, benefits assistance, job search training, mental health counseling, and access to housing information and referral services. Assistance is available in multiple languages.
Nourishing Hope also offers a free, monthly Online Market service where individuals can:
- Place a grocery order using any computer or smartphone
- Order frozen meats, canned goods, cereal, milk, eggs, and fresh produce each month
- Pick up from the warehouse, The Hub or Sheridan Market
- Skip waiting in line
- Continue access to the physical pantry/market
El Valor is a non-profit, community-based organization serving children, people with disabilities and their families in the Chicagoland area. El Valor offers education programs focusing on early education, inclusion, employment and self-sufficiency for individuals of all ages with different abilities.
It also provides families a variety of enrichment opportunities including certification classes, first aid, parenting seminars and family support groups. Services are available in English and Spanish.
Emergency and Transitional Housing Program
The Emergency and Transitional Housing Program in Illinois gives immediate and comprehensive shelter services to people who are homeless and people at risk of becoming homeless. Services are provided at shelters run by nonprofit organizations and local governments. for more information, see the Emergency and Transitional Housing Provider List.
Emergency Preparedness For Children With Special Needs
Seattle Children’s Center for Children with Special Needs’ emergency preparedness information helps you prepare for an emergency or disaster with your child’s special health care needs or disability in mind.
Information is provided in an easy-to-follow format.
Envision Illinois Domestic Violence Resources for People with Disabilities
Envision Illinois is a statewide collaborative project addressing domestic violence against people with disabilities and Deaf people. Envision Illinois provides various resources designed for all people, families, agencies and organizations working to ensure that survivors with disabilities have equal access to healing, safety and justice.
Envision Illinois’ website resources include:
- Case studies and scenarios
- Fact sheets and social story-type graphics
- A Mandatory Reporting Toolkit
- Sample forms and templates
- Self-advocacy resources
Envision Unlimited provides in-home respite to individuals with a diagnosed developmental disability.
It currently serves the following counties: Adams, Brown, Champaign, Cook, DeWitt, Fulton, Knox, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Mason, McLean, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, Pike, Sangamon, Scott, and Tazewell. More details are at www.envisionunlimited.org/in-home_respite.
Envision Unlimited’s Community Living Program
Envision Unlimited’s Community Living Program provides a variety of residential living arrangements and supports to adults with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Services are individualized and person-centered. The intent is to assist each individual to live in the community in a setting most aligned with his/her preferences and those of his/ her guardian. In-home respite is prioritized for individuals who are not receiving any other funded service and who are on the PUNS wait list.
The Epilepsy Advocacy Network (EAN) seeks to optimize the quality of life of individuals with epilepsy and seizure disorders by promoting community education and awareness, self-advocacy and empowerment, and helping all individuals gain proper access to care. EAN services and supports include:
- Case coordination (epilepsy)/assistance with education services
- Clinic visits
- Support groups
- Financial, transportation and medication resources
- Yearly camp for people ages 8 to 24 with epilepsy
- Seizure response training
It is an affiliate agency of the Epilepsy Alliance of America.
Epilepsy Alliance America is a national organization providing support, care and service to those with epilepsy, their families, caregivers and communities. The organization’s services and supports include: