Winnebago County Illinois Info Line Support services.
There is an Info Line set up in Winnebago County that provides free information to anyone in the region that needs help. Specialists are available and can direct low income families to the resources they need. Whether it is services for their children (such as vouchers or free day care), heating bill help, job training, or applications to government, those resources are available as well as many more.
Educational support for children is available as part of Head Start. This is a comprehensive social-service and preschool program for three- and four-year-old children and their families. This Winnebago County resource is designed to improve social, emotional, mental and physical growth for participants.
Head Start operates from the basis that parents are the first and most important teachers of their children, and it helps students from across Winnebago County develop the skills they need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond. Children that are referred by the Info Line to this service receive nutritious meals on each day that they attend class, and parental participation during the meals is encouraged.
Furthermore, all of the hundreds of children that are enrolled in Head Start receive dental, health and developmental screenings. The Info Line team can also refer the applicant to other clinics for these needs. If necessary, the entire family, including parents, are referred to appropriate community resources such as housing or financial aid programs.
Info Line also includes family services. Support is provided during times of crisis, and staff help parents achieve family and/or personal goals. Head Start is funded by state of Illinois and federal grants, and is offered at no cost to qualified families.
Receive information and applications to Food Stamps as well as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment & Training. The Winnebago County Info Line Support services works to help recipients of this federal government benefit to keep their families fed as well as achieve their self-sufficiency goal.
Not only can the EBT card help a family pay for their groceries, but additional one-on-one support is provided through case management from local agencies. This will help the client both increase their income and improve their overall financial situation.
Temporary financial assistance, including housing relocation and stabilization services are available via the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program. It can help pay for housing costs including rent, electric or water bills, deposits, and more. The Info Line has has details on programs to assist with heating bills, with a focus on families in or near poverty guidelines. This is designed for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Priority from Winnebago County Info Line Support services partners is given to the neediest clients who exhibit the greatest likelihood of achieving and maintaining stable housing once they exit the program. Eligible households must have an income level from either a job or benefits that is at or below 50% of the area median income for the county or meet certain poverty guidelines.
In partnership with Winnebago County Illinois Women, Infants and Children program, referrals are given to Free Pediatric Oral Health Care. This is for children from low income or uninsured households in the community. Lack of proper treatment, cleaning, and dental care can often lead to a serious health problem.
Parents that are clients of Info Line Support services can be providing education in proper oral health. They can learn about resources for screening and treatment for very young children, even infants.
Info Line Support services has referrals to parenting classes available for struggling families as well as childcare services, such as vouchers to pay for day care, which are offered separately. The funding for these rely on federal government vouchers. The same themes are discussed in both the children’s and parent’s classes to establish family strength, stability and unity.
Shelter, transitional and supportive housing – Winnebago County Info Line Support services tries to place clients into these units. There are centers for everyone from senior citizens to single moms to formerly homeless. The independent living options help the family access the services they need.
What may be available for those that move into their own apartments is as follows. The tenant can access affordable childcare assistance, budgeting workshops, transportation, debt reduction services, LIHEAP heating bill assistance and other life-skills classes. Seniors can also be provided local transportation to the doctor or pharmacy in Winnebago County. The lack of affordable housing can sometimes be met by this programs, and they will directly result in less homelessness. This is available in partnership with various apartment complexes and property management in the region.
The goal of Info Line financial literacy helps people improve the quality of their life. Sessions held by specialists as well as counselors from non-profit agencies will teach families effective cash management skills. This will help them budget, improve their bill paying practices, and help them have a stable situation.
-Participants learn how the habits they have, or can improve, will impact their quality of life.
-Sessions will help the person improve their credit scores, which can lead to employment and many other benefits.
-Find information on debt management plans (DMP) and other services available in Winnebago County.
-Much more is also arranged.
For more information on programs, and free referrals from the Info Line in Winnebago County Illinois, call 1-888-865-9903.
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