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Established in 1937, and administered by the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) is the Illinois Title V agency that provides care coordination for families and children with special health care needs. DSCC, governed by Administrative Rules, helps children with disabilities, and those who have conditions which may lead to disabilities, grow and develop to the full extent of their abilities.

Over 20,000 families in all 102 counties in the State of Illinois annually receive services from DSCC. Services are coordinated by a network of professional staff located in 13 regional offices throughout the state. Information about each regional office can be accessed from our Find an Office page.

DSCC's mission focuses on public service, education and research as a basis to provide, promote and coordinate family-centered, community-based, culturally competent care for eligible children with special health care needs in Illinois. The programs and services provided by DSCC are described below. We hope you find this information helpful and informative. Please use our Contact Us page to share your suggestions or to request further information.

The Core Program is the major focus of DSCC and offers care coordination and cost-supported diagnosis and treatment for children with chronic health impairments determined eligible for program support. DSCC supports non-investigational treatment recommended by physician specialists, such as therapy, medications, specialized equipment, and supplies. Application forms are available on the Core Program page of our website.

The Home Care Program offers coordination and support for in-home medical care of technology-dependent children who would otherwise have to remain in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) operates this waiver program on behalf of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). Application forms and more information are available on the Home Care Program page of our website.

The Children's Habilitation Clinic, formerly known as the Center for Handicapped Children, was renamed in August 1999 to reflect a focus on rehabilitative management for children with disabilities. The clinic is now located on the west campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago, within the Children and Adolescent Section of the Out-Patient Center. The new office location allows greater collaboration with other specialists and primary care providers. The Clinic provides comprehensive diagnostic services to children with complex disabling conditions and provides ongoing rehabilitation and developmental management to those children to age 21. There are approximately 1600 patient visits completed annually.

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The Supplemental Security Income - Disabled Children's Program has been administered by DSCC since 1978 to provide rehabilitative services to children under 16 years of age who are eligible for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. DSCC provides information about and referral to community resources, including referrals to Early Intervention or preschool programs when appropriate, and DSCC Core services as described above.

The SSI program is a nationwide Federal assistance program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that guarantees a minimum level of income for aged, blind, or disabled individuals. For more information about the SSI program for children with disabilities, visit the federal government's Social Security Administration web site on SSI Benefits for Children with Disabilities.

Administrative Rules
DSCC is governed by state statute and legislated by Administrative Rules. These Rules define the programs the agency administers and outline the eligibility criteria for the Core Program and services provided to children in the Supplemental Security Income - Disabled Childrens Program. The DSCC Administrative Rules are available in PDF format - you will need the Adobe Reader to view and print them. The Reader is available free from the Adobe web site.

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More Information
DSCC has served Illinois Children for more than 60 years - you can view a timeline of the agency's history in PDF (portable document format). You will need the Adobe Reader to view and print this document - it is available free from the Adobe web site. This timeline highlights both federal initiatives and Illinois initiatives implemented by DSCC.

A web-based slide-show is also available to provide an overview of the programs and services administered by DSCC. The slide-show will open a new browser window - when you are finished viewing the presentation, close the browser window to return to this page. (This presentation is best viewed using Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later.)

Every state and the District of Columbia has a Title V Program for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) that is funded, in part, through the Federal Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant. If you would like more information about Title V and Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) programs, we offer a reprint of Dr. John Reiss' article, What is Title V and How Can it Help You, which appeared in the March, 2000 issue of Exceptional Parent Magazine. Dr. Reiss' article continues to provide meaningful information for families.

DSCC Central Office
2 locations:

Central Administrative Office
Telephone: 217-558-2350
TTY: 217-785-4728
FAX: 217-558-0773
Postal Address:
3135 Old Jacksonville Road
Springfield, IL 62704-6488

Chicago Administrative Office
Telephone 312-996-6380
FAX 312-413-0367
Postal address:
1919 W. Taylor St. (m/c 618)
8th Floor, Room 800
Chicago, IL 60612-3772

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