There are many websites with valuable information that can help parents from all walks of life through the many stages of child-rearing. See some of the resources we’ve found below.
Child Care Aware
“Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) works with a national network of more than 400 child care resource and referral (CCR&Rs) agencies and other partners to ensure that all families have access to quality, affordable child care. CCAoA leads projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, conducts research, and advocates for child care policies that positively impact the lives of children and families. CCAoA also provides child care assistance for military families through Fee Assistance and Respite Child Care Programs that have served more than 150,000 families and worked with more than 60,000 child care providers over nearly two decades.”
Child/Family Life
Homeschooling
School-Age Children
Teen Parenting
“Teen Parent Services (TPS) is a program of the Illinois Department of Human Services. If you are a teen parent under the age of 20, TPS can help you:
- get education and training,
- delay subsequent pregnancy,
- work through the TANF application process,
- connect with community resources and services, and
- get preventative health care for yourself and your child(ren).
You are expected to stay in school and get your high school diploma or GED. You can also learn how to find a job and take classes to learn new skills.”
Student-Parents at the University of Illinois
“We recognize that students who, in addition to engaging in academic pursuit, are committed to providing and caring for children have a unique set of needs and experiences, joys and stressors. In order to support student-parents in their educational journey, we offer this website as a platform for identifying resources, locating policies, learning about programs and connecting to peers. Feel free to browse the site for information about campus and community resources and support. And please know that the Student Assistance Center in the Office of the Dean of Students is available to assist you in answering questions and addressing concerns should you be unable to find what you need via this site.”
For University of Illinois students that do not qualify for the Child Care Assistance Program, the Office of Student Financial Aid can help students pay for child care. Financial aid is available for both undergraduate and graduate students. Students can contact the OFSA office by walk-ins, email (finaid@illinois.edu), or by phone (217) 333-0100.
Grandparents Raising Children
“In Illinois, there are 220,088 children under the age of 18 are living in a grandparent-headed home. More than 100,000 grandparents are caring for their grandchildren. The Illinois Department on Aging, in cooperation with the Illinois Task Force on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, works to locate, assist and promote awareness of older caregivers who are currently raising their family’s children.”