SP-DH
Resources
T
he Internet has hundreds of resources for teaching and working with single parents and displaced homemakers. The sites listed here can provide new strategies and techniques for professionals. In addition, the organizations can provide a wealth of information about improving programs and instruction.
Resource Organizations
Online Resources
SP-DH
Resource Organizations
Advocates for Youth
Advocates for Youth organization provides information, training, and strategic assistance to youth-serving organizations, policy makers, youth activists and educators to help youth make responsible decisions about reproductive and sexual health. Advocates for Youth, 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 2005, website:
U.S. Department of Agriculture Women, Infant and Child
U.S. Department of Agriculture Women, Infant and Child (WIC) website provides information about WIC eligibility guidelines, state agency contact and comprehensive nutritional resources to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants and children. WIC, Supplemental Food Programs Division, Food and Nutrition Service--USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302, phone: 703/305-2746, fax: 703/305-2196, website:
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) is a statewide not-for-profit advocacy organization that addresses a variety of issues affecting the lives of youth, including health access, welfare reform, and reproductive rights. ICAH, 28 E. Jackson, Suite 710, Chicago, IL 60604, phone: (312) 427-4460, fax: (312) 427-0757, website:
Illinois Department of Human Services
Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is made up of three agencies, Department of Public Aid, Department of Public Health, Department of Child and Family Services. Through the various agencies, single parents and displaced homemakers may be eligible to receive support such as child care services, medical benefits, food stamps, cash assistance, employment and training services, mental health services, domestic violence services, and services for pregnant women. IDHS, 535 West Jefferson Street, Springfield, Illinois 62761, phone: (217) 782-4977, fax: (217) 782-3987, TTY: (800) 547-0466, website:
DHS Child Care Program
DHS Child Care Program provides low-income families with access to quality affordable childcare. DHS, phone: (877) 20CHILD, TTY: (800) 447-6404, website:
DHS Teen ParentServices
DHS Teen Parent Services program helps young parents, under age 21, who are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or KidCare Assist to become more self-sufficient and economically independent. DHS, phone: (800) 842-1374 or (217) 557-3103, fax: (217) 524-3603.
Illinois Women Work!
Illinois Women Work! serves as a critical link for national and local media working on features concerning women's economic struggles. Illinois Women Work!, Debra Walker-Johnson, Project Impact, SW Women Working Together, 4051 W. 63rd Street, Chicago, IL 60629, phone: (773) 582-0550.
Parents Too Soon Project
Parents Too Soon Project (PTS) is a statewide network of pregnancy prevention and family support programs. This program was developed to help teen parents cope with pregnancy and parenting. PTS, phone: (217) 785-4547, fax: (217) 524-3603.
KidCare Assist
KidCare Assist offers health care coverage to children and pregnant women and helps in paying premiums of employer-sponsored or private insurance plans. KidCare, phone: (866) 4OUR-KIDS, TTY: (877) 204-1012.
Online Resources
Illinois Occupational Information Coordinating Committee offers labor market information as well as a list of career development and employment related resources.The National Parent Information Network has a huge alphabetical list of topics and links that provide parenting support, useful to counselors as well as parents.
Singlerose is a resource for single mothers containing articles on self-improvement, time management, parenting, stress management, book review, and much more. Free membership.
The Administration of Children and Families (Department of Health and Human Services) web site has links to a vast network of agencies such as the Children’s Bureau, the Child Care Bureau, and the Head Start Bureau. It also has links to programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Bureau (LIHEAP), where low-income students can get information on how to apply for home energy assistance. This is a useful site for educators and counselors.
The AFLCIO website is useful for educators and grant writers and contains many links to national and state data, as well as charts, surveys, reports and fact sheets about working women, including women of color and single women supporting families.
Useful for parents and counselors, Zero to Three: The National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, has many resources for the first three years of life.
The American Library Association lists resources for parents, teens, and kids, with plentiful reading resources. Also connects to links specifically for parents and caregivers.
Babynet contains attractive birth announcements and registration for chat rooms. It’s great for teen parents.
The Child Fun Family web site provides parenting advice, free kids craft, book reviews, family articles, community boards, chat rooms and discussion lists.
The Kidsource website provides age appropriate education materials, a free support newsletter, and links to other support web sites, plus useful educational tools like the thesaurus.com and research.com. It provides some study tips for parents.
Lifetime Television Network shares this web site to provide programming date and topic information for its shows such as "What Every Baby Knows." Children’s recipes and advice columns are also included.
Moms Online is a support group for pregnant women or mothers of babies, toddlers, and/or teens. Women meet online to share experiences and encourage each other.
Parentsoup is an interactive web site with lots of playful tools such as a baby name maker, diet planner, health calculator, period predictor, or horoscope reader, as well as links to experts on a variety of parenting topics. Parents can also submit question to an M.D. online.
One of the many features of the Pregnancy Calendar site is a calendar that calculates expected birth date and a custom pregnancy calendar. The calendar describes fetal development on a day-by-day basis and has many click-on topics about nutrition, exercise, and health. Like many others, this site has a chat room.
Preventiveoz has engaging features such as a questionnaire about child temperament. Users answer questions about their child, and a customized temperament profile is created with parenting suggestions and tips.
Useful for students, teachers, and counselors, the Women Work website has general updates on women’s employment and equity issues, as well as success stories from students who are now happily employed.
Young Positive Parenting has free email support groups and resources for Teen Pregnancy and Young Parents. The email group includes an advice list. It has graphics and plenty of clip art, as well as links to other support networks.
Source:
Tavares, B. (2000). Tools for teaming: Resources for linking vocational programs with special populations. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Office of the Director for Career and Technical Education.
Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support (ICSPS)/Special Populations Project1