MACOMB – Noted for his long-term advocacy and experience serving rural families whose children have or may be at risk of having developmental learning disabilities, Chuck Farr, Program Director of Child and Family Connections #13 (CFC#13) has been appointed to the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention (IICEI).
Farr joins the statewide panel comprised of like-minded colleagues from across Illinois who work closely with infant to age 3 children affected with these concerns. For more than 17 years, Farr has been serving families in a nine-county area in western Illinois with these disabilities.
Farr is the sole volunteer on the IICEI who represents the needs of rural families in Illinois. “I’m looking forward to bringing my years of experience working with families in our small towns and rural areas to this panel,” Farr says. “These children and their parents have specific needs that other children in larger cities don’t face.”
Farr says such issues include the lack of vital and appropriate therapy providers, and spanning far distances to get that help that present challenges for rural families. “I will bring the rural mindset to this panel; that is what I am charged to do. This council needs to know that rural families are committed to the betterment of their children, but we have to find ways to give these children the critical attention they deserve so they can learn and grow with appropriate help.”
All members on the IICEI are appointed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. It is comprised of experts in their specific fields/areas who work with children having or at risk of developing learning disabilities, including those from state departments and parents of children affected by these disorders. It is a 20-30 member panel; its first meeting with new members is scheduled January 9, 2020.
“This is an incredible honor for Chuck to be appointed to the IICEI,” says John Meixner, Regional Superintendent of Schools for ROE26. “Chuck will be able to share his experience, insight and wisdom about the unique problems and learning challenges families in rural downstate face when accessing services for infant children and toddlers.”
“Chuck was tapped to serve on this prestigious panel because he knows of the roadblocks confronting these families as they seek help for their kids. He knows from experience how to best overcome hurdles to access educational and support services necessary for these children to learn, grow and do well in school,” Meixner said.
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and its Bureau of Early Intervention (IE) oversees the direction of the IICEI, providing leadership in establishing and implementing the coordinated, comprehensive interagency and interdisciplinary system of early intervention services.
Developmental screenings to determine how well a child is doing with communication, fine/gross motor skills, problem-solving and personal/social skills are available for children birth to age 3 at no cost to families. CFC#13 assists in identifying, planning and providing services for children in need of care through in-home evaluations and therapy sessions created specifically for each child and his/her family. CFC monitors this progress with six month check-ups.
To learn more about assistance available to families for children facing learning disabilities in Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Mercer, Rock Island, Schuyler and Warren counties, visit the CFC#13 link on the ROE 26 website at http://roe26.net.