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      We partner with Illinois families and communities to help children and
      youth with special healthcare needs connect to services and resources.

Join Our Family Advisory Council's Open Forum on Nov. 10 

The text, "We Want to Hear From You!" in a conversation bubble with DSCC's logoFamily feedback is important to us.

We want to hear directly from parents, caregivers and young adults themselves about their needs and how we can help meet them.  

Our Family Advisory Council (FAC) is one way family members can share their input and help us provide participant- and family-centered services. 

The council also connects families to resources and provides guidance to strengthen DSCC's teamwork, improve communication and empower families to have a voice in their child's care.

Our next FAC meeting is an open forum for all Illinois families of children with special healthcare needs. You do not have to be a Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) participant to attend. 

The open forum will take place via Zoom on Nov. 10 from 9 to 11 a.m. Click on this link to join the meeting.

More information about the open forum is on our website. 

If you have questions or would like more details on how to participate in the Family Advisory Council, please email dsccfac@uic.edu.

DSCC Partners with Fowler Bonan Foundation to Offer Back-to-School Shopping Spree 

DSCC participant Renesmae poses together with her two little brothers and mom and dad outside WalmartRenesmae is an outgoing 5-year-old who loves unicorns. She recently started kindergarten with extra sass and confidence thanks to new unicorn outfits and orthotic shoes for the school year.

Renesmae and her two younger siblings received a free back-to-school shopping spree for these much-needed items and more from the Fowler Bonan Foundation.

Renesmae’s DSCC care coordination team partnered with the foundation to make the special shopping trip possible.

“There’s a lot going on. With the kids starting school, we just didn’t know what we were going to do,” her mother, Misty, said during the shopping trip.

“Everyone at DSCC is really nice. They help with rides to the doctors and other things, but we never expected this. I can’t believe we’re shopping! It’s just above and beyond."

You can read more about the special shopping trip on our website. 

We’re thrilled our Marion Regional Office team and the Fowler Bonan Foundation came together to support Renesmae’s family. You can also see more photos from the shopping trip on our Facebook page. 

Dominic's Family Story

Dominic, a young dark-skinned boy with a tracheostomy, looks up and smiles while sitting on a benchDominic's mom, Aurea, felt like she lived at the hospital during the first years of her son's life.

“Everybody joked that I was an honorary staff member,” she recalled of the many and long hospital stays.

Dominic, now 7, was born with a large omphalocele. Omphalocele is a rare condition at birth that affects the abdominal (belly) wall. It caused his intestines, liver and bowels to stick outside of his belly in a sac through his belly button.

Aurea said the omphalocele’s size prevented his lungs and chest wall from fully developing.

Dominic soon got sick with pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator. He was able to get off the vent, but his chest wall was too small to support his breathing needs.

“They did a chest surgery when he was 6 months old. They cut his ribs to give his lungs a chance to grow and give more respiratory capacity,” Aurea said. “(His condition) has not been a linear thing. It’s definitely a little up, a little down. It’s all trying to figure out what works best.”

Through the highs and lows, DSCC has helped Aurea and her family navigate Dominic’s changing needs over the last seven years.

Now Aurea has joined our Family Advisory Council to help other families throughout the state.

You can read more about Dominic and Aurea's journey on our website. 

Medicaid Members - Update Your Mailing Address!

MailboxDo you get health insurance through Medicaid? 

Be sure your address is up-to-date so you don't risk losing coverage. 

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) needs every Medicaid member to update their mailing address. This step can ensure you receive important paperwork about your benefits.

Medicaid pays for your health care, like visits to your doctor and your medicine. Updating your address can help you avoid surprises and get critical information about your insurance.

You can update your address in several easy steps:

  • Call the HFS hotline at (877) 805-5312  from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monda through Friday
  • Contact HFS via TTY at (877) 204-1012
  • Fill out a quick online form at medicaid.illinois.gov.

More details are at https://dscc.uic.edu/medicaid-members-update-your-address/.

Please update your address right away! The process is fast, easy and free.

Upcoming Events

We make frequent updates to our website's Events section. It's a great place to look for upcoming webinars, workshops and resource fairs for families and caregivers of children and youth with special healthcare needs.

Here are a few fun and informative activities coming up this fall: 
You can also follow our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on resources, programs of interest and the latest news from the Division of Specialized Care for Children. 
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