Livingston County has many services available to children and their families. Below you will see references to some of the services that currently exist as well as those that are in the process of being developed.
Zero to Five Year Olds:
Screening: Children in this age group are screened for developmental and social-emotional delays at the Health Department as part of WIC and Family Case Management Programs (815-844-7174), at OSF Early Intervention Program (815-842-2828), and at the Livingston County Special Services Preschool Screenings (815-844-7115).
Services: Children who screen positive may be served through Head Start, day care & preschool programs, OSF Infant-Toddler Enrichment, and At-risk Pre-K programs. Children who are delayed 30% or more are served through Child & Family Connections and Early Childhood Special Education. In each of these programs, children’s progress can be regularly monitored and supports to child and family adjusted as needed.
Projected Services:
- Publicly available information on parenting and child development
- Screening in doctors’ offices
- Coaching on how to address common parenting problems (doctors’ office or IHR)
- Parent-child services to foster strong, healthy bonds (graphic and handout)
- Training & resources for day care providers
- Screening & connecting expectant parents and their infants to supports
- Comprehensive assessment & mental health services for young children with psychiatric diagnoses
Six to Thirteen Year Olds:
Services: Elementary and junior high students receive supportive counseling in school when referred by a parent or educator; counseling is often provided by a school psychologist or social worker assigned to your child’s building from Livingston County Special Services Unit (815-844-7115). In addition, parents often seek therapy services for children at the Institute for Human Resources (815-844-6109).
Projected Services:
- Training for educators to identify and address students’ social-emotional difficulties and improve school climate
- Teacher-delivered classroom curriculum to promote children’s social-emotional development
- Coaching on how to address common parenting problems (doctor’s office or IHR)
- Training and resources for child care providers, athletic coaches, and clergy
- Screening in schools (teacher report & student report) and doctors’ offices (parent report & adolescent report)
- Small group intervention in schools for children identified as at-risk on the screeners
- Comprehensive assessment & evidence-based treatments for children’s mental health needs provided in convenient locations (e.g., school, home, community)
- Treatments that involve participation of important adults in the child’s life
Fourteen to Eighteen Year Olds:
Services: High school students receive supportive counseling in school when referred by a parent or educator; counseling is usually provided by a school psychologist or social worker assigned to your child’s building from Livingston County Special Services Unit (815-844-7115). In addition, parents often seek therapy services for children at the Institute for Human Resources (815-844-6109).
Projected Services:
- Training for educators to identify and address students’ social-emotional difficulties and improve school climate
- Developing school-based mental health centers in county high schools to provide: Screening for anxiety and depression, Small groups to teach coping strategies and decrease symptoms of depression/anxiety, individual therapy for students with identified diagnoses
- Training and resources for child care providers, athletic coaches, and clergy
- Comprehensive assessment & evidence-based treatments for children’s mental health needs provided in convenient locations (e.g., school, home, community)
