UIC Division of Specialized Care for Children - About the Rockford Regional Office

If you have questions about any of our programs or would like information about available resources within the counties served, please contact us.

Regional Office staff are available at the following locations and times to meet with families, answer questions, take referrals, and offer assistance with any special health care needs:

Did you know the Rockford Regional Office has staff that speak Spanish?

¿Usted sabía que la oficina regional de Rockford tiene personal que habla español?

DeKalb Transition Planning Committee meets monthly
from 3:00-4:00pm at:
DeKalb County Special Education Association
1600 Lincoln Highway
DeKalb, IL 60115
for upcoming dates contact:
DSCC at 815-987-7571

Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL)

There is also an Otologic/Audiologic Clinic at the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL) located at 18160 Gages Lake Road, Gages Lake, IL 60030. Phone: 847/548-8470

Rockford Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies Center

Team evaluations are held at the University of Illinois Women's and Children's Health Center on McFarland Road, Rockford, IL. The team meets the first Wednesday of every month except for July and August and is open to people with any type of cleft or craniofacial anomaly. The fee is $215.00. IDPA is accepted. To schedule, contact Barb at Dr. Jerome Weiskopf's office at 391-4180 Ext. 7.

Local Interagency Intervention Council (LIC)

McHenry County Interagency Early Intervention Council meets the third Wednesday of each month at the American Community Bank located at 381 S. Main Street, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. Contact Angela Krambeer at 815-477-4720 ext 225 for details.

Northwest Illinois Interagency Council meets the third Thursday of each month from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Contact Kathy Ellinor at 815-297-1041 for site location.

DeKalb Local Interagency Networking Council meets every 2nd Thursday of each month from 12:00pm-2:00pm at Westminister Presbyterian Church, 830 N. Annie Glidden Rd, DeKalb, IL 60115

Lake County LIC meets the 4th Friday of the month from noon-1:30pm at Lake Forest Hospital Outpatient & Acute Care Center, Conference Rooms A & B, 1475 E. Belvidere Rd. Grayslake, IL 60030

DeKalb / Lee / Whiteside Interagency Council

Ogle / Winnebago / Boone Interagency Council

NICHCY

To contact programs similar to DSCC in other states, visit the NICHCY website: www.nichcy.org and click on State Resources.

CaringBridge Inc, operates the CaringBridge.org web site as a free online service to help families and friends stay in touch during important life events, such as medical treatment, childbirth or adoption. You may use this site only if you comply with and agree to be bound by these terms of use.

American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Visit the AAP website for information: www.aap.org

DeKalb Prekindergarten Program

The Dekalb Community Unit School District #428 is offering a free part-time Prekindergarten Program to residents of DeKalb School District for preschool children ages three to five who would benefit from developmentally appropriate learning experiences before they reach Kindergarten age. The program will be offered at Chesebro Elementary School, Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School, and Littlejohn Elementary School. To see if your child qualifies, call 815-754-9936 for an appointment for Prekindergarten Screening.

All Kids Healthcare for All Kids

DSCC Clients can obtain an application for the All Kids (State Health Insurance) Program from your local DSCC Office. Assistance in completing the application is also available upon request. More information on this program can also be obtained by visiting the All Kids website at www.allkids.com or you may call toll-free at 1-866-255-5437

To contact programs similar to DSCC in other states, visit the Directory of State Title V Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Programs website at: http://cshcnleaders.ichp.ufl.edu/TitleVDirectory/directory.htm

Illinois Provider Directory for Children with Disabilities

If you or someone you know is in need of specialty medical care, therapists, dentists or other allied health care providers, the Illinois Provider Directory for Children with Disabilities is designed to give you three easy ways to find the right health care provider:

By the Illinois county or surrounding border state in which they practice
By their health care specialty
By their office services

Programs for Youth, Teens, and Adults with Disabilities Rockford Park District

A couple of the sports offered are wheelchair basketball and wheelchair soccer. Beginner to advanced athletes are invited to try out BlazeSports and Adapted Sports to find out, What's YOUR Game? For registration and fees visit: www.rockfordparkdistrict.org
Rockford Park District Office 815-987-8800
Recreation office 815-987-1600

Helping others do what they do Best...

Easter Seals Children's Development Center 815-965-6745 www.il-rk.easterseals.com

RAMP Regional Access & Mobilization Project 815-968-7467 www.rampcil.org

The ARC of Illinois www.thearcofil.org

Rockford School District #205 www.rps205.com

YMCA of Rock River Valley 815-987-2252 www.rockfordymca.org

Special Olympics 815-965-3795 www.ilso.org

Rockford Chariots Wheelchair Athletic Association www.rockfordchariots.org

Mildred Berry Center www.mildredberrycenter.org

Northland Association for Special Recreation (NASR)
Rockford Park District 815-987-1600 www.rockfordparkdistrict.org
Freeport Park District 815-235-6114 www.freeportparkdistrict.org
Belvidere Park District 815-547-5711 www.belviderepark.org

DSCC is a sponsor of the Institute for Parents of Preschool Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. It is held at the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville, IL. Participants are infants and toddlers from birth to age five who are deaf or hard of hearing and their parents. For further information and application forms, please contact your local Division of Specialized Care for Children at (800) 651-9319.

Grants for Kids

     The United Healthcare Children's Foundation is offering support to meet the needs of children nationwide with assistance grants for medical services not fully covered by health insurance.
      Parents and caretakers across the country will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $5,000 for health-care services that will help improve their children's health and quality of life. Examples of the types of medical services covered by the foundation grants include speech therapy; physical therapy and psychotherapy sessions; medical equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids and eye-glasses, and orthodontic and dental treatments.
     To be eligible for the grants, children must be 16 year old or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, live in the U.S. and be covered by a commercial health insurance plan. For more information, visit: www.uhccf.org.

Telephone Help

In Illinois, Ameritech, Verizon and Illinois Consolidated telephone customers can get assistance with phone bills from Lifeline, a government program that offers qualified people a discount on their monthly local telephone bill. Eligibility criteria, restrictions and instructions on how to apply can be found at www.lifelinesupport.org. Another program, Link Up, helps consumers who are eligible to save up to 50% on telephone installation fees. Eligibility criteria can also be found at the above website.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program that helps low-income households with the costs of home heating and cooling. For further information including eligibility and assistance, please call the info line at (800) 252-8643.

GUARDIANSHIP

Guardianship involves the appointment by a court of a legally responsible individual to manage the affairs of another. The law assumes that an adult age eighteen or older is capable of handling his/her own affairs. However, a guardian may be appointed if a person is disabled because of mental deterioration, physical incapacity, mental illness or developmental delay if the disability prevents the person from making or communicating responsible decisions about his/her personal affairs. The Illinois Guardinship and Advocacy Commision is a good resource for people interested in becoming a guardian for their diabled family member. Visit their website at http://gac.state.il.us.

Discover the newest technology and trends available for individuals with disabilities.
www.abilitiesexpo.com.

New Resource: Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities
Check out this new resource that provides an extensive list of many resources for families and children with disabilities. Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities web site is organized by state and includes government resources, grassroots organizations and parent support groups.

Looking for resources for your students with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Contact Northwestern Illinois Association at 815-964-0937 or visit their website at www.thenia.org

Did You Know?

IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities has launched a new website and a toll-free number, 1-888-DDPLANS to help individuals with developmental disabilities and their families get the information and support they need and to link them to the local Coordination agency in their area. Callers will have an option to be automatically connected to their local Coordination agency during normal business hours. Individuals and families must contact their local Coordination agency in order to complete the PUNS assessment for services

SSI and SSDI

Don't forget, if you are a parent of a special needs or disabled child, your child may qualify for social security disability insurance or supplemental security income. This income is based on need, not prior work history. To find if you qualify, visit Social Security online or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

VIDEOS TO HELP PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES PREPARE FOR DISASTER

People with disabilities may need to make specific preparations for emergencies. A new Homeland Security video provides helpful information on how to do so. http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/disabled.html

Lake County Resources
www.manoamanofamilyresourcecenter.org
www.lccil.org
www.helpingfromheaven.org
www.frcd.org
www.cau.org
www.sedol.k12.il.us/parents.html
www.co.lake.il.us/health/chs/family/cfc/cfe.asp

Other Useful Links

www.illinoislegalaid.org

Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS)

Department of Children and Family Svcs (DCFS)

Autism Illinois

Illinois School for the Deaf

Illinois School for the Visually Impaired

The Family Resource Center on Disabilities

Children's Defense Fund

Action for Children

Voices for Illinois Children

Ounce of Prevention

People First of Illinois