Youth and Family Connections OLD

CHS Youth Connections Program is a statewide advisory committee of parents and professionals ensuring that children who are Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing and their families connect with the necessary resources, advocacy, information, services, and support within the home, school, and community

Community Support

YFC offers several opportunities for children and families in the community!

Events

An overnight camping trip. A chance to see a professional sporting event. Breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Deaf Santa. These and many more activities are offered throughout the year, enabling Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing children to interact with one another and build community. Shared group experiences also teach communication skills to help youth of all ages get along with others regardless of differences in age, gender, race, ability, etc. Group interactions also help young adults learn to make good choices and become leaders – and they’re fun, too!
Parent Meet-Ups are bi-monthly webinars about topics related to deafness. They give families an opportunity to learn from experts and to realize that they have a community behind them. Previous topics include Deaf Autism, Special Education Rights, and Language Acquisition.
To stay up to date on CHS events, get on our mailing list by contacting [email protected] or follow us on Facebook at CHS Youth Connections Program. (Facebook Link).

Family Sign Language Classes
Learn to communicate with the Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing child in your life! Family Sign Language classes are FREE for those with DDBHH family members and are offered in two levels: Beginner and Beyond Beginner. English and Spanish options are available.

School Support

YFC offers several opportunities for schools!

ARMED
ARMED (Adult Role Models in Education of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing) is a program that provides school-age children the opportunity to learn from DDBHH adults. Volunteers go into classrooms and present about their experience in school, their jobs, how they got the training they needed, and the choices they made while growing up that led to their success later in life. They also teach self-advocacy skills, the importance of knowing your rights, and encourage DDBHH students to have high expectations for themselves.

READ Days
READ Days bring adult Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing adults into classrooms, libraries, or community settings to read stories, foster literacy, and encourage DDBHH children to be who they are. Mentors select books relevant to what students are learning or topics related to Deaf culture.

Due to donations from the American Library Association, students also get free books during READ events!

DEAR Week
DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) is a week-long event celebrating books and reading! Schools, libraries, families, or individuals can register to be added to an email list. Each day during that week, they will get a message in their inbox of ASL storytelling, books with Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing characters, and literacy development tips. Sharing these resources is a great way to foster a love of reading. This week is also the perfect time to hold READ Day events!

To learn more from DEAR, check out our previous DEAR Daily Newsletters.

Our volunteers represent a variety of life experiences and occupations, including: a truck driver, a computer programmer, a lawyer, a doctor, an artist, and a stand-up comedian!

To request an ARMED presentation, contact us!

Home Support

Resources and Information for Illinois Families with
Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Children

This notebook compiles and condenses resources and information for families with children who have been identified as Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing. It covers a range of information to help families as they start their journey with deafness.

Created by Youth and Family Connections, the notebook is FREE for families and available in English (Spanish version coming soon). All sections are available online below with the full version available as well.

Introduction

First steps
Stories from parents
Anticipating questions

What is Deafness?

How hearing works
Kinds and degrees of deafness
Audiologists and audiograms
Your team of healthcare providers

Communication & Culture

How hearing works
Kinds and degrees of deafness
Audiologists and audiograms
Your team of healthcare providers

Education

Early Intervention
Education options
IFSP and IEP Support
Education rights for DDBHH children
Advocating for your child

Hearing Technology

Hearing aids
Cochlear implants and bone-conductive systems
Environmental awareness
Hearing assistive technology

Resource List

State Resources
National Resources
Online Resources

If you would prefer a paper copy, request one here, and it will be mailed to you. This is FREE for families with Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing children. Professionals can request a copy for $20.

With questions or for more information, support, or referrals, contact Youth and Family Connections (in English or Spanish) at 773-248-9121 or email [email protected].

YFC Deaf Mentor Program

The YFC Deaf Mentor Program connects families with Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing children ages 0-22 with Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing adults, called mentors. These mentors work with families to provide support, language modeling, community resources, advocacy, and perspective gained by experience about navigating the world as a Deaf individual.

Mentors serve as positive role models for DDBHH children, helping them grow their confidence, self-esteem, and identity. They also empower families to lead their DDBHH children in developing their full potential.

Language acquisition primarily takes place between the ages of 0-5. Deaf Mentors support, model, and instruct families on communicating with their DDBHH child during this critical learning period. Working with a mentor can help your child make huge strides in the language development that is so important for their communication and overall growth.

Services are free, on-going, and family-centered. Mentors work one-on-one with families, either virtually or in-person.

To get started, email [email protected] or fill out our Support Request Form

Literacy Development

Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write. A key goal of Youth and Family Connections is to support families in the early stages of literacy development with their Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing child and to help them foster a love of books.

READ Kits

The READ Kits program targets children 0-3. READ kits include books, toys, an activity sheet, and DVDs with suggested reading strategies. The reading strategy videos and activity sheets are also available below for you to view.

Request your READ Kit today!

Check out time is 3 weeks. Everything you need to return the READ kits in the mail will be included, all at no cost to you!

Made possible by funding from the Oberkotter Foundation

See what we have available for check out!