Illinois Families for Early Intervention

10/29/2025

Looking for food connections?

IDHS offers guidance on food pantry locations, soup kitchens, and other local services across the state.

🍲 To learn more, visit: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=31245

10/28/2025

There’s still time to register — don’t miss this opportunity to join The Arc of Illinois Virtual Family Support Group with Amanda Griffith-Atkins ✨
Her book is a powerful and honest read — definitely a must if you haven’t checked it out yet! See you tonight ✨📖💗

✨ You are not alone — and TONIGHT is a chance to connect.

🗓️ 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭! | 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟖 | 𝟒:𝟑𝟎–𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌

Join our 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 with 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡-𝐀𝐭𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐋𝐌𝐅𝐓, founder of Amanda Griffith-Atkins Counseling Group.

🔗 Register now: https://qr.link/8pT5yk

Amanda will share her journey of navigating motherhood, identity, and self-compassion while raising a child with disabilities. She’s built a community where parents can speak honestly about it all — the hard parts, the beautiful moments, and everything in between.

💬 Come as you are.
💛 Stay for the support.
🌿 Leave feeling a little lighter, a little more connected.

10/24/2025

⏰ Theres still time to share your ideas!

The Early Intervention Clearinghouse is expanding our library collection—and we want to hear from you!

Are there specific books, DVDs, materials, tip sheets, or topics you’d love to see available in our collection? Whether it’s resources for families, caregivers, or professionals, your input helps us better serve the early intervention community.

➡️ Submit your suggestions by October 31, 2025, and as a thank you, you’ll receive a small gift in the mail. We look forward to hearing from you!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWcXBMK5TAeLghp7p5fMUnliIbn1VANGuMH0WijmQKUeShZw/viewform?usp=header
----
⏰ ¡Aún hay tiempo para compartir tus ideas!

¿Hay libros, DVD, materiales, hojas de consejos o temas específicos que te gustaría ver disponibles en nuestra colección? Ya sean recursos para familias, cuidadores o profesionales, tus comentarios nos ayudan a servir mejor a la comunidad de intervención temprana.

➡️ Envía tus sugerencias antes del 31 de octubre de 2025, y como agradecimiento, recibirás un pequeño regalo por correo. ¡Esperamos saber de ti!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWcXBMK5TAeLghp7p5fMUnliIbn1VANGuMH0WijmQKUeShZw/viewform?usp=header

10/21/2025

Are you looking for Sensory-Friendly fun this spooky season?

Check out some inclusive events happening this week across the state:

- Easterseals Midwest's Sensory-Friendly Trick-or-Treating Event in St. Louis on Friday, Oct. 24, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

- Springfield Park District Special Recreation's Inclusive Halloween Dance on Friday, Oct. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m.

- Lincolnway Special Recreation Association's sensory-friendly trunk or treat and indoor Halloween activities in New Lenox on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

- Rooted Wellness Center's Sensory-Friendly Monster Mash and Costume Party in Sterling on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Visit our Special Events page for more details at https://zurl.co/ZmqQA.

We hope your Halloween is filled with tasty treats and magical memories!

10/20/2025

Many of us at IFEI have participated in the Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse Leadership Program — it was such a great experience and a wonderful way to get involved in EI! 🌟

It starts next week, register today!⬇️⬇️

10/19/2025

📣 Join us this Tuesday for our monthly EI Family Circle! We’re excited to welcome The Arc of Illinois as our guest speaker. This is a great chance to connect, learn, and ask questions. 🗓️ Tuesday 21st | 🕛 6–7 PM | 💻 Virtual. Flyer 👇
Registration link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/n1gY89rGQ6WG3to6LOaC6g #/registration

10/17/2025

Family Chat Friday 💬
The Family Outcomes Survey is a quick way to tell the state what worked — and what could be better — so your voice can shape future services for families like yours. 🧡
React or comment below ⬇️
👍I know what the Family Outcomes Survey is
😮 I didn’t know what it was
(Optional: Drop a comment to share your experience!)
Learn more here: https://eiclearinghouse.org/blogs/fos/

10/14/2025

We are partnering with Chibydesign to hear from parents, caregivers and providers in one-on-one interviews about experiences with early intervention services for children birth to three.

Help us shape a more equitable early childhood system for families across Illinois.

🔗 Sign up here:https://idec.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idec/documents/resources-materials-and-reports/birth-3-erly%20Interven-interview-recruitment-flyer-7-29-25.pdf

10/14/2025

10/09/2025

We’re at the DEC Conference in Portland today! Join us for our session:
Partnering with Early Intervention Families for Change: Advocacy in Action
🗓️ Thursday, October 9, 2025
🕓 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM PT
We’re proud to partner with Start Early and Equip For Equality to highlight the power of family partnerships and advocacy in Early Intervention.
If you’re attending DEC, we hope to see you there! 💬

10/07/2025

Down Syndrome Awareness Month is here. And in Illinois, there’s a lot to celebrate. 💙💛

Across the state, people with Down Syndrome are breaking barriers, shaping communities, and redefining what inclusion really looks like.

At IDHS, we believe inclusion is more than a value, it’s a responsibility. One that requires listening, learning, and building systems that support real choice and opportunity.

This October, let’s celebrate strengths, uplift voices, and work toward communities where everyone belongs, every day of the year.

10/07/2025

Today, October 6, is World Cerebral Palsy Day! 🌎

is about recognition, inclusion, and action for the 50 million people worldwide that live with cerebral palsy. It’s a day to celebrate the achievements of the CP community, challenge barriers, and push for a more accessible, inclusive world.

Cerebral palsy is the most common lifelong physical disability, affecting a person's ability to walk, move, or communicate. It is caused by an injury to the developing brain, but every individual’s experience with cerebral palsy is unique. Every story is different, but our community stands together — .

Share your story and tag us is your posts/stories so we can show how diverse and expansive our community really is!