Family Support Resources
Bottom Line Diaper Bank in Champaign
The Bottom Line Diaper Bank is a collaborative effort of the United Way of Champaign County and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department. Together they provide diapers to local programs to distribute to families and caregivers in need. Visit the diaper bank’s website for more details on how to receive help.
Bounce Children’s Foundation is a Chicago area non-profit that aims to transform the lives of chronically ill children, and their families, shifting all from surviving to thriving. The foundation serves children from birth to 18 years of age.
Bounce’s free programs aim to build the resilience needed to cope with the ongoing, unexpected setbacks that define chronic illness. Programs include family adventures, education to strengthen vital coping skills, donated tickets to high demand events, themed care packages for household families, access to resources, peer support and more.
Traveling with a child with medical complexity can be challenging. Brades’ Place provides tips, tools and templates to help parents with children with specialized healthcare needs plan and create memorable family travel experiences.
The site also provides diagnosis resources for certain conditions.
Brain Injury Association of Illinois
The Brain Association of Illinois is a not-for-profit, statewide membership organization ocmprised of people with brain injuries, family members, friends and professionals.
Provides prevention, intervention and educational services to foster non-violence in the lives of children and adults.
Bright by Text is a free text messaging service that delivers high-quality information to families to help them foster a child’s healthy growth, based on their exact age and developmental stage.
Available in English and Spanish, the service covers children from prenatal through age 8. Topics covered include brain development, speech and language skills, social-emotional development, reading and writing skills, nutrition, mental health, school readiness, and more.
All information is provided by trusted content partners, including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sesame Street, PBS Kids for Parents, and Zero to Three.
Families can sign up by texting BRIGHT to 274448, or by using the form on the Bright by Text website. Text messages are customized by the child’s due date or age and zip code.
Bright Futures is a national child health initiative focused on prevention and health promotion for infants, children, adolescents and their families.
The Bright Futures website provides a number of resources for children, teens and families and information to help families build a strong partnership with their healthcare providers.
Brightpoint (formerly Children’s Home & Aid)
Brightpoint provides a wide range of programs statewide to help families and their children navigate challenges such as poverty, trauma and systemic barriers to equity. Brightpoint focuses on prevention and helping families before problems become life-altering crises. Its programs include:
- Early childhood care and education
- Parenting support and family services
- Foster care
- Workforce development and youth programs
- Mental health and wellness
Brightpoint started as Children’s Home & Aid and has offices in Bloomington, Carpentersville, Englewood, Palatine and Schaumburg.
Buddy Break – Respite in McHenry County
Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break is a free respite opportunity for McHenry County parents of children who have a physical, cognitive, medical or other hidden disability, a chronic or life-threatening illness, or are medically fragile.
It is provided through First Church of Crystal Lake and Options & Advocacy for McHenry County. The program gives each child a trained “buddy” to be by their side for three hours of one-to-one attention and kid-centered activities. The program is open to children with special needs ages 2 – 16 and their siblings ages 4 – 11.
To register or for more information, please visit the Buddy Break webpage or contact Susan Perkins at (815) 477-4720, ext. 255, or susan.perkins@opad.org.
Bullying and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Needs
Children with disabilities — such as physical, developmental, intellectual, emotional, and sensory disabilities — are at an increased risk of being bullied. Any number of factors — physical vulnerability, social skill challenges, or intolerant environments — may increase the risk.
StopBullying.Gov provides information on risk factors, strategies to create a safe environment and other resources at www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/special-needs.