Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition

05/14/2026

Please share important information about changes to the SNAP program! If you are an informal family caregiver - caring without pay for a family member, friend or neighbor, you might qualify for a work requirement exemption...

New changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) started on May 1, which may affect eligibility for some Illinois residents, including older adults. Certain adults without dependents may now need to meet monthly work, training, or volunteer requirements to continue receiving benefits.

If you or someone you know has questions about SNAP eligibility or the new work requirements, these resources may help:

1) Complete the screener to see if you are impacted and whether you may be able to file an exemption: https://aberp.illinois.gov/screener/ABAWD?lang=EN

2) Customers can meet the new requirements by working, volunteering, or participating in a training or education program. Visit: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/?item=177800

These sites can help people check their status, understand the requirements, and find work or volunteer opportunities that may help maintain benefits.

For more information, visit https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=30357

05/11/2026

Great information for caregivers of loved ones in the military!!

Military Caregivers Month is the time to recognize veterans and the care responsibilities that their loved ones sometimes must undertake. Whether your family member is on active duty, retired, ill, wounded or disabled, every caregiver's journey is unique and deserves support.

If you’re thinking about the future or need advice now, this free guide can help caregivers get organized, plan for future needs and find the resources and support available. Learn more in our comments!

03/24/2026

Thank you Chicago Health Magazine, Dan Dean, Katie Brandt & Skip Weiss for shining a light on how to avoid caregiver burnout. Caregiving for loved ones is a gift. Please take a listen to a quick podcast describing why self care & accepting help from friends & family is so important...

Prolonged stress from caregiving can show up in a variety of ways: as headaches, body aches, insomnia, moodiness. It can lead to a lack of interest in activities you previously enjoyed, and create feelings of loneliness and isolation.About 63 million Americans are currently serving as family caregiv...

03/21/2026

Strengthening Complex Care Through Family Caregiver Integration

11/19/2025

November is National Family Caregiver month. Are you or someone you know caring for loved ones with intellectual or developmental disabilities? Here's information to join a great webinar providing insight & resources - tomorrow at 10am hosted by AgeGuide...

Join us for an informative virtual session on Wednesday, November 19, from 10–11:30 AM, presented by Beth Nolan, PhD, Positive Approach to Care®. This session will explore strategies and insights to better support caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Representatives from Trualta and TCare will also share 24/7 tools and resources designed to help caregivers thrive in their roles. CEs are available. Register today at bit.ly/2025-Caregiver-Seminar

11/18/2025

November is nationally recognized as "Family Caregiver" month. Do you live in the City of Chicago? Are you currently providing unpaid care for a loved one- spouse, partner, parent, friend, sibling? Do you help with tasks- anything from picking up prescriptions, coordinating doctor appts, cooking, cleaning, to more involved like wound care, administering medications, and medical care? There's help & resources available.

TODAY at 10am, the City of Chicago is hosting an online webinar to provide information & resources for family caregivers. Details & information to join the online discussion below...

11/02/2025

November is Family Caregiver month. Sharing information here about a FREE webinar tomorrow about navigating the caregiver journey & finding resources(Monday) at 12noon CT. Are a family and/or unpaid informal caregiver? Maybe you are family of choice for a sick loved one. This free webinar is for you! More details & registration link below...

10/22/2025

The Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition is honored to coordinate 3 caregiver documentary movie screenings to honor National Family Caregiver month- come join us!! Details below...

The Mama Joe Project, Community Engagement Forum for Caregivers in and near Canton, Peoria, and Effingham Illinois

09/23/2025

Here's your chance to speak up with ideas how to make Illinois better for older adults & caregivers. Click link below to sign up for the October 2 virtual session. Big thanks to Michelle Hoersch & the engAging team for naming AgeOptions CEO Diane Slezak & me Co-Chairs of the "Investing in Caregivers" Workgroup. Looking forward to creating a strong road map in Illinois!

Building on the grassroots advocacy of the Illinois Aging Together Coalition, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2024-02 in August 2024 to begin the development process for a Multi-Sector Plan for Aging (MPA). The MPA is a 10-year blueprint to

07/25/2025

🎉 Big news!! Busting at the seams happy to share the statewide advocacy organization we started 3 years ago - the Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition - received a 2025 US Aging Innovation Award at this week's national US Aging's 50th annual conference in Chicago. Big thanks to so many of you who make this group so successful. Special thanks to RRF Foundation for Aging for their support from the beginning and to Google, the Beck Foundation (Stephanie Beck & family) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for theirs critical support. 🙏❤️🙏

06/24/2025

NEW Caregiving documentary airing on PBS - TONIGHT, at 8PM CT - executive produced by Bradley Cooper. Watch tonight or stream online at PBS website. Details & link below... Caregiving, a new documentary created with executive producer Bradley Cooper, highlights the challenges and triumphs of caregiving in America. Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba (The Residence, Painkiller, Orange is the New Black) narrates the film, bringing her own experience as a caregiver for her mother to the project. The two-hour documentary premieres tonight on PBS, and the PBS YouTube Channel. Stream now on the PBS App and PBS.org.
https://www.pbs.org/show/caregiving/

A documentary revealing America’s caregiving crisis through intimate stories and expert insight.