State Funded Resources

The Support Waiver for Children and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities provides services to children and young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities ages 3 through 21 who live at home with their families and are at risk of placement in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disability (ICF/ID)

The Children’s Support Waiver, Home-Based Waiver

Target Population: Children with developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, or autism.
Ages: 3-21
Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility
Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
Waiver Type: 1915(c)
Spots: 1440
Expiration Date: 6/30/2027
Description from medicaid.gov: Provides adaptive equipment, assistive technology, behavior intervention and treatment, self direction assistance, home accessibility modifications, personal support, temporary assistance, training and counseling services for unpaid caregivers, and vehicle modification services for individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, and developmental disabilities, ages 3 to 21 years.
Online State Information: Children’s Support Waiver page
Official Federal Information
How to Apply: Call the helpline at 1-888-DD-PLANS or 1-866-376-8446 (TTY) or find your DHS Developmental Disability office. Call the office to submit an application and be placed on the waiting list.
Waiting List: Illinois currently has 19,304 individuals with developmental disabilities on its waiting list. Children are rarely able to access this waiver unless they have an emergency need.

What is the purpose of this service?:

To help children between the ages of birth to three with disabilities or delays, to learn and grow.

Who can receive these services?

Families with an eligible infant or toddler from birth to three years old. 

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What services are offered?
Infants and toddlers are evaluated to see if there is a delay in:

• movement

• learning

• dealing with others

• behavior, and/or

• self-help skills

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If services are needed, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) will be written to set goals and identify needs.

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Families, with the support of Early Intervention Providers, help their infants and toddlers reach their goals.

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How to apply?
Use the DHS Office Locator to find an Early Intervention Child and Family Connections office in your local area.
Call 1-800-843-6154 (Voice/TTY). 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers two programs that can provide financial assistance to people with autism and their families: 

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

  Provides monthly payments to low-income families with children who have disabilities, including autism. SSI can help cover the costs of care, therapy, educational programs, communication devices, and respite care. 

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

  Provides monthly disability benefits to people who have worked long enough and paid into Social Security, and who meet the SSA's definition of disability. 

To qualify for SSDI, you must: 

• Be unable to work due to your disability 

• Have a condition that is expected to last at least 12 months 

• Have enough work credits, which are based on your total wages or self-employment income 

• Provide documentation of extreme or marked limitations in certain areas of mental functioning 

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To qualify for SSI, your family's income and resources must be limited. If your child is cohabitating with a stepparent, the SSA may consider their income and assets as well. 

It can be difficult to qualify for disability benefits if you have a mental illness like autism. However, it may be easier to qualify if you have another qualifying condition, such as anxiety, depression, epilepsy, or ADHD. 

SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.

Medicaid is health care insurance program for families and individuals with low income and limited resources. It is commonly referred to as “All Kids” or the “medical card.” Within Medicaid, there are different coverage groups for different populations including: All Kids, FamilyCare, Affordable Care Act (ACA) Adults, Moms and Babies, Former Foster Care, and Aid to Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD) medical.

Medicare is a federal program, covering more than 64 million seniors and disabled Americans throughout the country. Medicare beneficiaries in most areas have the option to get their coverage via private Medicare Advantage plans, and nearly 46% do so.

The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) provides all the ABLE information you need in one place. ABLE NRC shares reliable information about ABLE plans, including plan comparisons, best practices and strategies to increase savings for now and into the future. Our mission is to educate, promote and support the positive impact ABLE accounts can make on the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and their families. We want to drive action to help people open and manage ABLE accounts as a tool to secure their financial future.  

What Is Federal Financial Assistance?

HUD’s Section 504 regulation defines federal financial assistance broadly to include virtually any form of financial assistance, including property, except for a contract or guarantee of insurance, provided or otherwise made available by the Department. This includes any assistance provided or otherwise made available by the Department through a grant, loan, contract or any other arrangement, including funds, services of federal personnel, or real or personal property or any interest in or use of such property. 

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These are some common types of HUD funding programs:

1.Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)

2.HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME)

3. Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG)

4.Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)

5. Public Housing

6.Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)

7.Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (Section 811)

8.Supportive Housing for the Elderly (Section 202)

9.Homeless Assistance Programs (Continuum of Care, other McKinney-Vento Programs)

10. Recipients of NOFA Funding

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This list is not exhaustive. See also Non-Discrimination in Housing and Community Development Programs.

By contacting your local vocational rehabilitation office, you will tap into a wealth of resources related to employment options for people with disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation (VR), a state-supported division of services, assists individuals with disabilities who are pursuing meaningful careers. VR assists those individuals to secure gainful employment commensurate with their abilities and capabilities through local job searches and awareness of self-employment and telecommuting opportunities. Some states have separate VR agencies serving individuals who are blind and visually impaired.

The association’s goal is to promote and assist state agencies in developing effective, efficient service delivery systems that furnish high-quality supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In pursuit of this goal, NASDDDS strives to provide member state agencies with timely analyses of federal statutory and regulatory policies that affect people with disabilities; disseminate cutting edge information on state-of-the-art programs and service delivery practices; provide technical assistance and support to member states; and offer a forum for the development of state and national policy initiatives.

The ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) program is a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance in independent living. Its goal is to expand the body of knowledge in independent living and to improve utilization of results of research programs and demonstration projects in this field. It is a program of TIRR Memorial Hermann, a nationally recognized medical rehabilitation facility for persons with disabilities.

Since ILRU was established in 1977, it has developed a variety of strategies for collecting, synthesizing, and disseminating information related to the field of independent living. ILRU staff--a majority of whom are people with disabilities--serve independent living centers, statewide independent living councils, state and federal rehabilitation agencies, consumer organizations, educational institutions, medical facilities, and other organizations involved in the field, both nationally and internationally.

With a commitment to excellence and a passion for patient well-being, we provide medical equipment solutions that not only meet but exceed industry standards. Trust in our equipment, trust in our expertise and let us be your partner in ensuring uncompromised care every step of the way.

The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.

The Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE) helps Autistic and similarly Neurodivergent people build meaningful, connected lives. We provide individuals, families, and professionals with education, community and support, in an inclusive atmosphere of validation and respect.