Child & Family Connections #15 February 2020 Newsletter Will/Grundy/Kankakee/LaSalle Counties

Happy Valentines Day on February 14th

This Valentines Day take a moment to let your family know how much you love them. Here is an article from Parent with 14 ways to celebrate Valentine's Day with your little ones and another from Aha! Parenting with 15 Fun Valentines Day Family Traditions.

This month we have included information on Zero to Three, a great informational online resource for families with young children. As well as information on upcoming fun events and resources for all families.

Remember that the 2020 Census will begin this Spring. In the last census it was reported that children under 5 were among the most undercounted, read more about how this impacts federal funding for programs for young children.

Visit our website

Upcoming Fun Family Events | February 2020

Will/Grundy County Kankakee County LaSalle County events Events Events

Family Fest at Shabbona Family Valentines at Sled Dog Demos at Starved Middle School, February Mall, Feb Rock State Park, Feb 16th 15th, 9-1pm 8th, 5-7pm. $7/person 9:30am-4pm

Upcoming Free days at the Sweetheart Storytime at Grizzley Jack's Grand Bear Joliet Area Historical Bourbonnais Library, Feb Resort Movies, Music & Museum - Presidents Day 8th at 10:30. See the Magic Event. Feb 22, 5- 2/17 whole list of upcoming kids 9pm Free to guests & locals events! Joliet Area Restaurant AMC Showplace 16 in Week is Feb 1-13 Sweetie Skate at KVPD Ice Rockford offers Sensory Arena, Feb 14th 7:45pm Friendly movie showings on Family Support Day at the 2nd & 4th Saturday of Sator Sanchez Elementary National Try Hockey for each month. in Joliet. April 4th 9- Free day, Feb 22, for kids 11:30am. age 4-9 at KVPD Ice Arena Peru Library has fun classes and storytimes for Free Pancake Breakfast the JCPenney Kids Zone the little one's birth-3 years 1st Sat. of the month 8- 2nd Saturday of every old. 10am at First Presbyterian month 11-noon in Church in Joliet Bourbonnais. Crafts for Reddick Library has lots of kids & 10% off coupon for fun events and classes for Family Game Fridays at parents. kids 0-3 year. , 2-4pm Parents and Caregivers Marseilles Tourism and JCPenney Kids Zone the Together (PACT) Support Park Committee has a 2nd Saturday of every Group for families of facebook page! month 11-noon at area children with special needs stores. Crafts for kids & in Kankakee, free childcare Calendar of fun events in 10% off coupon for during meeting. Call 815- the Ottawa area parents. 933-7336 to register. Starved Rock State Park Reels at the Rialto has Barnes and Noble was voted the #1 movies for $5/person. The storytimes Thursdays & attraction in the State of next movie is The Saturdays at 11am in ! Check out their Godfather on 2/6 at 7pm Bourbonnais. Click the link calendar of events. to view dates. The Will County Forest Ottawa YMCA is a great Preserve online calendar Bourbonnais Twp Park resource for fun events for has events like WonderKids District offers fun events parents and kids! They on 2/8 and Little Explorers for kids and families, see offer preschool and on 2/12 their Jan-April Program summer camps. Guide. They are offering a Barnes and Noble child & Daddy Daughter Streator family YMCA has baby storytimes in Joliet, Sweetheart dance on 2/8 the Tot Lot Preschool Bolingbrook, Orland Park, program & a child watch & Naperville with weekend Perry Farm Park offers program for kids age 6 & weekday times. Days and walking trails, Indian weeks - 8 years. times vary by location. Caves, and their inclusive Barnyard Playground. Mendota YMCA & Peru Lincolnway Special Rec YMCA has a preschool offers many fun programs. program and free family Click to view the nights for members. Winter/Spring 2020 Program Guide. The many state parks in LaSalle County are a Smith & Galowich Family wonderful resource for YMCAs offer Parents Night outdoor fun. Out & Family nights. View the 2020 Winter/Spring program guide for details.

Click the link below to see events offered at your local park district. Joliet Park District Frankfort Park District Bolingbrook Park District Romeoville Park District Lemont Park District Mokena Park District Plainfield Park District Naperville Park District New Lenox Park District Channahon Park District Crete Park District Braidwood Park District Godley Park District

Family Events and Resources For All Areas

ACEs Parenting program held at We Care of Grundy County Feb 5th - March 4th, 5-7pm. Free childcare and meals provided!

The Great Bike Giveaway is in it's 9th year and begins February 12th. Click the link to learn more about this program that assists families in fundraising for an adaptive bike for their child.

Family Time Magazine's Kids Expo February 8th & 9th at the Schaumburg Convention Center and March 28th & 29th at Roma Sports Club in Frankfort. Use code FUN to get 15% off tickets.

Registration is open for Mom's Night Inn offered through Illinois Hands and Voices for moms or female caregivers of children of all ages who are deaf or hard of hearing, April 25-26th in Lisle. For more information or to register click the link or call 630-697-3544.

Play Well Days at Legoland Discovery Center in Schaumburg, the 1st Saturday of each month from 8:30-10am. They have teamed up with Autism Speaks to provide a sensory friendly Lego experience.

Play for All at Chicago Children's Museum at . The Museum opens one hour early at on 9am on the second Saturday of every month for children and families with a disability. The 1st 250 people to register receive free admission. Saturday February 8th is Adaptive Sports Day!

Sky Zone Toddler Time in Joliet offers a special time just for the little ones, walking to age 5. Fridays 9:30-11am & Saturdays 9-10am.

The Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse offers resources and information for families and professionals in Early Intervention. Check out their current newsletter and subscribe to receive their quarterly newsletter sent to your inbox!

Family Time Magazine is a great resource for families on fun local events and informative articles. They also have a facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/familytimemag

ChicagoParent.com/Calendar lists fun events all year long! Also check out the Chicago Special Parent Guide that is published twice a year with resources and articles for parents of a child with a disability or special needs.

Check out this list of 2020 Fairs, Festivals & events in Illinois .

The Enjoy Illinois website lists statewide fun events all year long!

Do you know someone who needs help with groceries? Check out Food Access Maps in Will County Or to locate a food pantry or soup kitchen near you go to the Northern Illinois Food Bank and enter your zip code. You can also get information or help with your SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) appilication or call 844-600-SNAP.

Children's museums and Play areas with Sensory sensitive or Special Events Exploration Station at the children's museum in Bourbonnais DuPage Children's Museum Calendar 301 N. Washington in Naperville Sensory Sensitive Sundays at Chuck E. Cheese 1st Sunday of the month, Joliet & Naperville locations Sky High Sports Naperville Special Needs Open Jump every Tuesday from 4-6pm Gizmos in Orland Park Special Needs Family Time 1st and 3rd Monday of the month 4-8pm Pump It Up Sensory Jump in Orland Park is the first Monday of every month Airtastic bouncy playland in Aurora has Music Free Mondays for kids with sensory sensitivities Special Needs Nights at Centennial Beach in Naperville Sundays 6:30-8pm, $3/person Luigi's Pizza and Fun Center in Aurora has a sensory day the 1st Sat of month from 9-11am Movie Theatres with Sensory Friendly Movie Times AMC Theatres in New Lenox, Naperville, Lombard and Morris Marcus Theatres in Orland Park and Chicago Heights Studio Movie Grill in Wheaton NGC Cinema in Yorkville Emagine in Frankfort

Resource Spotlight: Zero to Three

ZERO TO THREE works to ensure that babies and toddlers benefit from the family and community connections critical to their well-being and development. Healthy connections help build babies’ brains.

Neuroscientists have documented that the earliest days, weeks and months of life are a period of unparalleled growth when trillions of brain cell connections are made. Research and clinical experience demonstrate that the earliest relationships and experiences a child has with parents and other caregivers dramatically influences brain development, social-emotional and cognitive skills, and future health and success in school and life. They support: parents with practical resources that help them connect more positively, deeply and continuously with their babies professionals with knowledge and tools that help them support healthy early development policymakers in advancing comprehensive and coherent policies which support and strengthen families, caregivers and infant toddler professionals

There are many great resources and information available to families from Zero to Three. Here is a link to some of their highest trending resources for Parents. Famiies can sign up to receive their newsletter with information and great articles on parenting young children. Click here to see their January Baby Steps Newsletter.

Upcoming Conferences for Children & Families in Early Intervention

StarNet Early Childhood Today Conference at Lewis Universiity March 11, 2020, 8:30am-3:30pm. This conference is for parents, caregivers, and professionals who shape the lives of children age birth-5 years old. $35 to attend, parents of a young child with a disability can apply for reimbursment funds through Starnet

FREE Conferences for Parents of Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing And the professionals who work with their children 2020 Illinois School for the Deaf Outreach Statewide Parent Conferences Locations • South of Eighty – Springfield – Saturday, March 28– 8:30am-4:00pm • North of Eighty – Rockford – Saturday, April 18 – 8:30am –4:00pm • City of Chicago – Near Midway – Saturday, May 2 – 9:00am – 4:30pm

Free Opening Doors Conference for Parents of children age 0-5 with a Visual Impairment, May 31-June 3rd, at the Illiniois School for the Visually Impaired in Jacksonville Click the link for more information and to register.

Summer Institute for Parents of Preschool children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing June 7-12th on the camp,us of the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville, IL. There is no cost to families to attend! Click the link for more information and to register. Reminder: The 2020 US Census will be taken in Spring of 2020. Information gathered in the Census helps to determine how billions of dollars in Federal funding is spent in your community. It impacts funding for schools, health clinics, fire departments, roads, highways, and much more! Please visit the website to learn more about the process, timelines, and how the census protects your privacy and security. See this resource on the importance of counting young children in the 2020 census.

The 2020 Census is currently hiring for census takers and other positions. To learn more or apply online go to https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.html

About Us:

Child and Family Connections #15 is the regional office serving as the point of entry for children and families into the Illinois Early Intervention Program. CFC #15 serves children age 0-3 year and their families in Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and LaSalle Counties.

For more information about the Illinois Early Intervention Program, please visit: Illinois Department of Human Services or The Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse

**The events and information contained in this newsletter are not sponsored by Child and Family Connections #15. This newsletter contains information from many different agencies and organizations and is provided to families as a resource.**