REsources
Caregiver and Family Support
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to:
Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for:
- the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth;
- the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement;
- to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition;
- a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job;
- any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty;” or
Twenty-six work weeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
The TANF program provides states (which includes DC and territories for this purpose) with flexibility in operating programs designed to help low-income families with children achieve economic self-sufficiency. The federal government does not provide TANF cash assistance directly to the public. Instead, states use their TANF grants to fund monthly cash assistance payments to low-income families with children, as well as a wide range of services that are designed to address one or more of the program’s four broad purposes:
- Provide assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives
- End the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage
- Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies
- Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families
General Benefits: Cash, SNAP (Food Stamps) & Medical Assistance
General Information: (800) 843-6154
IL Able
Save for Expenses. Achieve Greater Financial Independence. Preserve Benefits.
IL ABLE is a savings and investment plan that makes it possible for people with disabilities and their families to save and invest their money for expenses related to living with a disability. ABLE Accounts can help solve a long-time predicament that many people with disabilities face: how to build financial wellness without risking much-needed federal government benefits.
IL ABLE is sponsored by the State of Illinois and administered by the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer and was made possible following the passage of the federal Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, which authorized states to create ABLE programs. In 2016, the Illinois Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (IL ABLE) was passed. The Illinois Treasurer’s office worked with advocates and families to develop the IL ABLE program, which launched in January 2017.
Illinois leads the National ABLE Alliance, a 19-member consortium that includes states and the District of Columbia, which represents more than one-quarter of the nation’s ABLE-eligible population. By working together in a bi-partisan way, Alliance states can offer a best-in-class ABLE program to people with disabilities anywhere in the country.
Ascensus College Savings Recordkeeping Services, LLC serves as the program manager for the National ABLE Alliance and is responsible for day-to-day operations, investment advisory, recordkeeping and administrative services.
Illinois Respite Coalition
The Illinois Respite Coalition (IRC) is a not-for-profit organization of caregivers and respite providers dedicated to advocating support for families by ensuring access to quality respite services for the residents of Illinois. The IRC is dedicated to spreading the awareness of lifespan respite for caregivers of individuals with special needs. The IRC is able to assist caregivers by connecting them to resources in their area, provide training on respite topics, and providing funding available through our various programs including: in-home respite, voucher respite, emergency respite, and the lending library program.
- Recieve $500 in emergency Respite Care
- Get certified to become a Respite Care Giver
- Find a long-term respite care plan for your loved one
Call 866-455-7377 ext. 105 or 312-463-4730 for questions!
Not Sure Where To Begin?
Complete the form below and our team will be sure to contact you within 72 hours to connect you with resources!