Parents Resources

River North Parents, Tell Us What You Think...

Please take our brief confidential survey regarding issues, goals and priorities for parents.

Click here to access the survey

This page contains information about kid-friendly retailers, medical, recreational, educational and child care services and other resources for parents of young children in our community.

CHICAGO RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES

• Chicago Kids  Be the first to hear about upcoming events, museum exhibits, theatre productions and special offers. http://www.chicagokids.com

• Chicago Parents Magazine A monthly newspaper featuring parenting topics, calendar, and Chicagoland kid-friendly places and businesses. http://www.chicagoparents.com

• Chicago Park District A web site of the park district listing parks, classes, special events and general park information.  A great resource for city parents.  www.chicagoparkdistrict.org

• Go City Kids/Chicago  Shortcuts to the city at its best—its parks, stores, professional services, restaurants, babysitters, places to stay, and entertainment, among other things. It's the answer to all those times you've wondered how to begin your search for afterschool activities, day camps, sports equipment, or a good pediatrician. Or what to do on a rainy Sunday, where to throw a party for an eight-year-old, and how to find camping equipment you can rent.  You can even sign up for a weekly e-newsletter. http://www.gocitykids.com/?area=196

GYMNASTICS

• Lakeshore Academy of Gymnastics  Gymnastics classes taught by Olympic caliber gymnasts. http://www.lakeshoreacademy.com/

EDUCATION

• Chicago Public Schools  Official web site of the Chicago Public Schools with many components to help parents make the best educational decisions for their children. http://www.cps.k12.il.us/

• Chicago Early Childhood Program Locator Finding quality early childhood education programs for your child has never been this easy. Whether you are looking for a program near your home or near your job.  http://schoollocator.cps.k12.il.us/ECE/index.html

• National Assn. for the Education of Young Children  The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. NAEYC is committed to becoming an increasingly high performing and inclusive organization.  http://www.naeyc.org/families/

• Helping Your Child Learn Through History  Web site created by a group of parents who want to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of parents and children. We've created an online community that shares our values and goals in raising, educating and providing for our children. We believe that parents and caregivers want to take greater responsibility for their children's health and education, but don't always have the right information, resources or advice to do so. Our goal is to provide that knowledge and advice to help you better raise and educate your children.  http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/history.html

• American Montessori Association  Since its formation in 1960, the American Montessori Society has grown to be the largest Montessori organization in the world. AMS is a non-profit, non-discriminatory service organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting the use of the Montessori teaching approach in private and public schools. Member-supported, its funding comes mainly from Montessori-credentialed teachers, schools, administrators, teacher education programs, parents of Montessori schoolchildren, and interested friends. Ten thousand members strong, they are committed to furthering Montessori philosophy, making it a growing educational alternative, and promoting better education for all children regardless of age, socioeconomic status, or geographical location.  http://www.amshq.org

CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

• BabyBug Magazine  Cricket Magazine Group began with the launch of CRICKET^® in 1973. Marianne Carus, founder and Editor-in-Chief, was determined to create a literary children’s magazine that would appeal to a child’s intellect and imagination. She insisted upon publishing only the highest quality children’s literature and selected world-class illustrators to produce the art accompanying the stories.  http://www.cricketmag.com

• Animal Baby National Wildfire National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. www.nwf.org

• Highlights for Children Highlights is dedicated to helping children grow in basic skills and knowledge, in creativeness, in ability to think and reason, in sensitivity to others, in high ideals and worthy ways of living -- for children are the world's most important people. www.highlights.com

• National Geographic for Kids National Wildfire National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. www.nwf.org

PARENTING PUBLICATIONS

• Cookie Magazine Mom, style, kid, culture.  http://www.CookieMag.com

• Parents Magazine Monthly parenting magazine.  http://www.parents.com

• Parenting Magazine Monthly parenting magazine.  http://www.parenting.com

• Family Fun Magazine  http://www.familyfunmagazine.com

• Preemie Magazine Preemie Magazine and its online community are the outgrowth of the experience of our six founders, all of whom are parents of preemies or have personal NICU experience. Our mission is to provide a publication and online community that not only helps parents through the NICU, the journey going home, and the developmental and school years, but also celebrates these amazing children and the professionals who serve them.  http://www.preemiemagazine.com

• Wonder Time dedicated to helping parents nurture their children's love of learning. A blend of how and why, Wondertime inspires parents of infants through 8-year-olds to see the world through the eyes of their children, and to celebrate the wonder of this all-too-fleeting time. http://www.Wondertime.com

• Mothering Mothering celebrates the experience of parenthood as worthy of one's best efforts and fosters awareness of the immense importance and value of parenthood and family life in the development of the full human potential. As a readers' magazine, we recognize parents as the experts and wish to provide truly helpful information upon which parents can base informed choices. http://www.mothering.com

MULTIPLES

• National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs  Founded in 1960, the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc. (NOMOTC) is a network of more than 450 local clubs representing over 25,000 individual parents of multiples - twins, triplets, quadruplets and more. NOMOTC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation funded by dues, donations and grants. http://www.nomotc.org/

• Twins Magazine TWINS™ Magazine is the premier periodical for parents of multiples, from twins and triplets to quadruplets, quintuplets and more! Published six times a year, TWINS™ Magazine is the "bible of parenting multiples," loved by moms and dads of twins and higher-order multiples since 1984. http://www.twinsmagazine.com

• Illinois Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs The Illinois Organization of Mothers of Twins Club, Inc. (IOMOTC) was founded in 1962 as an Illinois non-profit, educational, public service organization for mothers of twins and higher order multiple birth children. IOMOTC provides support, information, and networking services to parents of twins and higher order multiples through its member club affiliates. http://www.geocities.com/iomotc/

• Center for Loss of Multiple Birth CLIMB, the Center for Loss in Multiple Birth, Inc. We are parents throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond who have experienced the death of one or more, both or all of our twins or higher multiples at any time from conception through birth, infancy and childhood. http://www.climb-support.org/

• International Center for Twins Studies International Society for Twin Studies (ISTS) is an international, nonpolitical, nonprofit, multidisciplinary scientific organization. Its purpose is to further research and public education in all fields related to twins and twin studies, for the mutual benefit of twins and their families and of scientific research in general. The Society was founded in Rome in 1974. http://www.ists.qimr.edu.au/

• Home School For Families of Twins Welcome to the Wonderful Adventure of Home School for Twins. http://home.flash.net/~hsft/

NUTRITION & SPECIAL DIETS & DINING

• Celiac Sprue Association (CSA/USA, Inc) is a member based non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis worldwide through education, research and support. http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_choices.php

• No Wheat A web site that includes additional web sites of wheat free resources. http://www.nowheat.com

• GERD (GastroEsophogeal Reflux Disorder) SpeechPathology.com is dedicated to providing quality educational opportunities for all Speech-Language Pathologists and other interested professionals. Our primary goal is to enable Speech-Language Pathologists to expand their unique qualifications through an excellent program of life long learning so that current, state-of-the-art techniques and procedures will be readily available to those who have been entrusted to their professional care. http://www.speechpathology.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=258

• Organics Consumers Association Campaigning for health, justice and sustainability. http://www.organicconsumers.org/

• Classy Kids Child accommodation products take customer service up a level. http://www.classy-kid.com/restaurant/foodservice/foodservice.html

FITNESS

• GymCor World’s largest selection of gym equipment. http://www.gymcor.com

• Fitness & Kids Health, exercise and fitness equipment for kids.  Fun fitness activities to keep kids healthy and Fit! http://www.fitnessandkids.com

SPECIAL NEEDS RESOURCES

• Illinois Department of Human Services Illinois' Early Intervention program's mission is to assure that families who have infants and toddlers, birth to three, with diagnosed disabilities, developmental delays or substantial risk of significant delays receive resources and supports that assist them in maximizing their child's development, while respecting the diversity of families and communities. http://www.dhs.state.il.us/ei/

• Beyond Play Toys Focuses on young children with special needs. Our goal is to bring you a great selection of products that are all appropriate for Early Intervention. Our catalog and web site are for professionals of all disciplines, as well as for parents and caregivers. http://beyondplay.com/

SIGN LANGUAGE

• Born 2 Sign    Wonderful resource for the parent interested in signing.  Includes cheat sheets, wav files and pictorials. http://www.signwithme.com/default.asp

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

• 401 Kids Education Savings Plan Welcome to the general help center. Education Financing is a complex task, with hundreds of factors which need to be considered as part of every family's strategy.  401Kid.com addresses these planning issues.

PEDIATRICS

• American Academy of Pediatrics Official Web site of the American Academy of Pediatrics—an organization of 60,000 pediatricians committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Whether you’re looking for general information related to child health or for more specific guidelines concerning a pediatric issue, you’ve come to the right place. Here, you’ll find information regarding the Academy’s many programs and activities…our policy statements and practice guidelines…our publications and other child health resources…and much, much more. Best of all, you can rest assured that the information comes from the nation’s leading child health experts and that we have scientific research supporting our recommendations. http://www.aap.org

• Holistic Pediatric Association The HPA: the Alliance for Holistic FAmily Health and Wellness, is a 501-C3 status non-profit, educational organization. Our mission is to unite parents and health professionals in the common goal of improving and transforming family health care into a safe, nurturing, and sensible holistic system. We empower parents to trust their natural wisdom and make informed choices on behalf of their children. We offer education and support and network practitioners who are supportive of the family wellness lifestyle. http://www.hpakids.org

BOOKS AND READING

• The Children's Book Council http://www.cps.k12.il.us/

• Beginning With Books: Center for Early Literacy For 22 years Beginning with Books has advocated the importance of early literacy as the best way to make a difference in the lives of children, especially those at greatest risk. http://www.beginningwithbooks.org

SPEECH & LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

• Speech Pathology Association SpeechPathology.com is dedicated to providing quality educational opportunities for all Speech-Language Pathologists and other interested professionals. Our primary goal is to enable Speech-Language Pathologists to expand their unique qualifications through an excellent program of life long learning so that current, state-of-the-art techniques and procedures will be readily available to those who have been entrusted to their professional care. http://www.speechpathology.com/askexpert/index.asp

• American Speech & Hearing Association We're committed to ensuring that all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders have access to quality services to help them communicate effectively.  On this site are resources to help you understand communication and communication disorders, as well as a professional referral service for access to qualified care.  http://asha.org/public/

GREAT WEB SITES FOR KIDS

• American Library Association The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 64,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/default.cfm

TOYS

• Dr. Toy's Guide Toy's Guide, the world's first website to provide information on the best in toys and educational products, offers year-round, award-winning toy and children's product information plus timely articles, useful resources, links and much more. Take your time, bookmark this site, and return often. Over the years 3,000 toys and children's products have been selected for awards by Dr. Toy. These items are displayed with product descriptions and images, and company contact information. http://www.drtoy.com/main/index.html

• Dolls Like Me Our philosophy is simple: Children of color need positive images that look like them. We provide parents with resources and information and we sell quality products designed to help build and maintain self-esteem in their children of color. http://www.dollslikeme.com

CONSIGNMENT

• Second Child An Upscale Children's Resale Boutique. http://www.the2ndchild.com

GREAT CHILDREN'S RESOURCES

• Can Teach CanTeach was created to assist teachers in finding and using resources online. Although this site has resources which all educators will find useful, we have attempted to place emphasis on lesson plans, resources, & links which have a Canadian focus since there is a need for such materials on the web. http://.www.canteach.ca/index.html

OF NOTE & INTEREST

• Inventive Parents Inventive Parent was born from the concept that there were better products our there, and built on customer service. While we bring you the best products quickly at a fair price, we want to give you more.
  Because our products were created to solve problems, we offer you some typical situations common to today's parents and offer solutions. http://www.inventiveparent.com

• Little Partners Little Partners, Inc. is a company dedicated to the nurture of the child. Our mission is to affirm the child's positive self image through strengthening the essential partnership between the child and the adult. Through the manufacture and distribution of specially designed juvenile products, Little Partners, Inc. strives to help parents and caregivers prepare an environment which nurtures the young child, allowing him/her to unfold to his/her utmost potential. http://littlepartners.com

Disclaimer

The RNRA provides these resources as a public service and makes no representations regarding the accuracy of any information accessed via these pages nor its appropriateness to any individual situation.  The RNRA accepts no responsibility for any consequence resulting from access to this information by visitors to this website.