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Not Alone: Navigating Family Estrangement with Compassion and Strength
Family estrangement is more common than many people realize. It can bring up a mix of feelings like shame, anger, grief, or loneliness.
This evening of support offers a chance to connect with others who are facing similar challenges, helping to reduce isolation and normalize the experience. Through conversation and shared learning, participants will explore gentle ways to strengthen emotional resilience, set healthy boundaries, and navigate complicated family relationships.
Ready Set Grow Group
Join us for our 2 - to 3 - year-old play group, designed to develop communication, language, and social skills. Waiting, turn-taking, following directions, and transitions are incorporated into preschool activities, like circle time, art, and pretend play. Our Speech-Language Pathologist will incorporate monthly themes to enhance vocabulary development, knowledge of early basic concepts, and pre-literacy skills.
Monday mornings from 9:15-10:30am, January 12-February 23, 2026
*No Group on January 19-Agency Closed
Class Fee: $300/6-week session
*Thanks to generous funder support, the class fee is waived for participants new to JCFS Chicago.
Services for People with Disabilities presents: Family Day
This event welcomes families with children with disabilities for a fun afternoon of crafts, facepainting, music, photobooth, and balloon twisting, snacks and more!
Register today!
The event is open-house style and open to the public.
- Kosher snacks will be provided.
- Please note, this event is FREE.
- Families will be expected to stay with each other. Personal support and childcare will not be provided at this event. Support staff will be available to help facilitate activities.
Registration is required.
For more information email Amy Janssen.
Family Day is generously supported by the Lawrence E. and Nancy S. Glick Foundation.
Grief and Loss
Grief and loss impact all of us throughout our lives. Despite our best intentions, it may not always be easy to know how to support someone through their experience of grief and loss. This can be especially true when supporting someone with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
This presentation will highlight the various types of loss people can experience and the grief that may arise, what typical grief looks like, how we can respond and support each other, and how to recognize when it may be helpful to work with a mental health professional.
Register today to join our presenter Jess Jankowski LCSW at JCFS Chicago to learn more.
Interview Tips and Tricks
This is a presentation that will focus on how to properly prepare for an interview and share practical tips and tricks that can help lead to a successful outcome. This includes guidance tailored for people with disabilities, such as how to discuss accommodations, highlight strengths and transferable skills, and address potential employer misconceptions.
Join our presenters Leah Rudy the Assistant Director and Rebecca Schachter the Manager of Integrated Community Employment at The Duman Opportunity Center to learn more.
