School Attendance
The Illinois Board of Education has released tighter guidelines on attendance as students are remote learning. School districts are encouraged to make contact with students on a daily basis through video chat, phone, texts, email or packet collection.
Read more about ISBE’s Student Attendance guide here: https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Student-Attendance-Guidance-5-4-20.pdf
Wellness Checks
ISBE also partnered with the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services to release guidance on wellness checks. If a teacher is unable to make contact with a student for over a week, they should attempt to make contact with their parent or guardian. If the wellbeing of a student is still unknown, schools and districts should do everything possible to conduct a wellness check visit. These visits are only intended to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of the child.
Learn more here: https://www.isbe.net/Documents/DCFS-ISBE-Student-Wellness-Visit.pdf
Affordable Internet Options
Internet Essentials from Comcast
Comcast is offering its Internet Essentials program for $9.95 per month. You may qualify if you are eligible for public assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, and others. New customers will receive two months of free service.
Learn more and apply here: https://www.internetessentials.com/
Access from AT&T
AT&T is offering its Access service for $10 or $5 per month, depending on service speeds. New customers who order before May 23 will receive the first two months free.
Learn more and apply here: https://m.att.com/shopmobile/internet/access/
Spectrum Internet
Spectrum Internet is offering free internet for two months to new customers with K-12 or college students. Its Wi-fi hotspots will be made available to the public for free.
Learn more here: bit.ly/spectrumcovid19
Free Wi-Fi Hotspots
DCEO has put together a map of free Wi-Fi hotspots that can be used for activities like e-learning.
View the map for drive-up hotspots here: https://bit.ly/2SXJZgl
Food Resources
Chicago Public Schools
CPS is offering free boxes of food with three days' worth of meals for every child in a household available for pick up on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
CPS is offering food delivery for families. If your family needs help, call CPS’ coronavirus command center at (773) 553-5437 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email
Greater Chicago Food Depository
o 4100 West Ann Lurie Place
o Chicago, IL 60632
o 773-247-3663
o www.chicagosfoodbank.org
o Food Assistance for income eligible households in the following counties: Cook
Northern Illinois Food Bank
o 273 Dearborn Court
Geneva, IL 60134
o 630.443.6916
o www.SolveHungerToday.org
Central Illinois Food Bank
o 1937 E. Cook
Springfield, IL 62703
o 217.522.4022
o www.centralilfoodbank.org
Eastern Illinois Food Bank
o 2405 North Shore Drive
Urbana, IL 61802
217.328.3663
o www.eifoodbank.org
Partner Distribution Organizations:
o Peoria Area Food Bank
721 W McBean
Peoria, IL 61605
o 309.671.3906
o http://www.peoriafoodbank.org
St. Louis Area Food Bank
o 70 Corporate Woods Drive
Bridgeton, MO 63044
o 314.292.6262
o stlfoodbank.org/
Murphysboro Food Pantry
o 906 N 14th St
Murphysboro, IL 62966
618.684.8258
o https://www.foodbanks.net/state/il.html
DHS Emergency SNAP Allotments
Supplemental emergency SNAP allotments will be issued for April 2020 and May 2020 to SNAP households that are receiving less than the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for the household size. A SNAP household that is already receiving the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for the household size is not entitled to a supplement.
If a new SNAP household applies and is approved to receive SNAP for April 2020 and May 2020, the supplemental emergency SNAP allotment will automatically be awarded. The supplement will be issued along with the regular approved benefit amount.
P-EBT (Pandemic EBT) SNAP for Students
All children that would receive a free or reduced price meal if school was in session are eligible for P-EBT regardless of income or citizenship. Families are not required to be receiving SNAP to qualify for P-EBT assistance or meet financial or nonfinancial eligibility requirements.
Active SNAP households do not need to apply for P-EBT as existing case information will be used to automatically issue benefits when appropriate. For non-SNAP households, an application is required so that a P-EBT case may be set up in the IES eligibility system and benefits can be issued.
Non-SNAP families that want to apply have the option to:
• complete an online application at ABE.Illinois.gov; or
• complete a paper application on the DHS website at dhs.state.il.us.gov and submitting to the Central Scanning Unit (CSU); or
• send the application to the new email address created for this process
Daycare Centers
Effective March 21, 2020 child care centers that wish to serve as emergency child care sites for the children of essential workers may apply for an Emergency Child Care License. These emergency child care sites will be the only child care centers legally allowed to operate during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. Emergency Child Care Centers may be located in: schools; community-based organizations such as churches and social services organizations; or health care facilities or other workplaces for critical emergency workers. If approved for an Emergency Child Care License, these entities may serve 6 children or more.
In addition to Emergency Child Care Centers, Emergency Child Care Homes may serve up to 6 children as a legally license-exempt home. No Emergency Child Care License is necessary for these entities while the COVID-19 State of Emergency is in place. Child care workers are considered essential workers only if they are providing child care for children of other essential workers.
