CIDSO Membership

(Don't forget to renew your membership for 2026 after January 1!)

Membership in the Central Illinois Down Syndrome Organization (CIDSO) is open to anyone over age 18 who is a member of a family which has/had a child with Down syndrome and lives within McLean County, IL.

To become a member or to maintain your membership, you must complete an Annual Membership Application every year. Please try to complete your application by January 31st, but membership applications are accepted throughout the year.

Members may:

• attend meetings and vote (1 vote per family),
• enjoy CIDSO social activities like the Buddy Walk, Holiday Party, Summer Picnic, Playdates, Parent’s Night Out, etc. 
• get to know and learn from other families who have a child with Down syndrome
• receive emails pertaining to the business of CIDSO and forwarded information from national and state organizations. 
• serve the organization through volunteer service to help CIDSO grow and accomplish its goals.

CIDSO "Active" Membership

“Active” membership status is necessary in order to seek CIDSO financial support through the Enrichment Fund. Before seeking funds:

1. Make sure you are a current member of CIDSO. If not, complete the Annual Membership Application .
    
2. Commit to perform at least 15 hours of volunteer service to CIDSO during the calendar year. Please send an email to the Funds Administrator (cidsofundsvp@gmail.com) detailing how you intend to provide your annual volunteer service.

Volunteer Service Ideas:

• actively help with current fundraising efforts (Down for a Ride, Buddy Walk)
• coordinate and execute a new fundraising event approved by the Executive Committee (local restaurant fundraiser, social media fundraiser, Game/Trivia night fundraiser, walk/run fundraiser, golf fundraiser, etc.)
• in coordination with the Social Committee, plan and execute a new social activity for our membership (parent’s night out, family game night, family dance, art night, etc.)
• actively participate in a CIDSO committee that serves our organization
• actively participate as an officer of CIDSO
• reach out to an Executive Committee member with other ideas

As hours of service are performed, the member must submit those hours via email indicating the number of hours spent and the task performed to the Funds Administrator for confirmation and documentation (cidsofundsvp@gmail.com).

Please note that it is the commitment, not the fulfillment, of the volunteer hours that needs to be documented prior to receiving funds. We take it on faith that active families will honor their commitments of service hours.  If a member receives Enrichment Funds and does not fulfill their volunteer hour commitment in any given calendar year, they will be ineligible for future funds until that commitment is fulfilled.

The volunteer hours for "active" membership may be waived if the immediate family is unable to fulfill the requirements due to advancing age of the immediate family members and/or illness/disabling condition that renders them unable to actively participate in supporting CIDSO.  This option will be considered on a case-by-case basis once the family requests such a waiver from the Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee decision is final in such cases.

CIDSO Funds

Effective 1/1/2026

CIDSO Enrichment Fund – Available to “Active” CIDSO Members

Enrichment Fund Purpose

CIDSO strives to enrich the lives of individuals with Down syndrome by opening doors of opportunity and allowing those born with Down syndrome to be active participants in their community. The goal of enrichment is to promote independence, increase quality of life, support inclusion in the community, and foster lifelong learning and personal growth.

The CIDSO Enrichment Fund was established to provide families financial support to offset some of the unique costs of having a child with Down syndrome. The Enrichment fund supports a broad range of programs, services, therapies, activities, and products designed to enhance the cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and functional development of individuals with Down syndrome.

The Enrichment Fund also supports attendance at workshops and conferences that pertain to Down syndrome. Individuals with Down syndrome and their parents and caregivers benefit from attending workshops and conferences that increase their knowledge of issues surrounding Down syndrome.

Enrichment Supports Description

The CIDSO Enrichment Fund is designed to assist people with Down syndrome having access to and being supported in community activities. All enrichment services and items should be developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed where possible, and tailored to meet the unique needs and strengths of individuals with Down syndrome. The fund can be used to help offset the cost associated with medical care (not covered by insurance) and educational pursuits through community programs. 

Items Funded through the Enrichment Fund have included:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Expenses (Deductible, copays and other expenses not covered by insurance for conditions resulting from or related to Down syndrome; related transportation and hotel costs for out-of-town specialists)
• Therapies and Interventions-not covered by insurance (speech, occupational, physical, behavioral, developmental, music/art or recreation, adaptive fitness, hippotherapy)
• Programs and Activities (SOAR registration, Special Olympics fees, life skills programs, educational classes, tutoring, social skills classes, recreational, arts or sports programs, camps, peer mentoring programs, clubs or inclusive social events)
• Products and Tools (adaptive learning materials, assistive technology, sensory tools, specialized educational games/books, therapy tools, adaptive furniture)
• Public Transportation fees (specialized transportation needs required for work or recreation)
• Attendance at Conferences and Workshops pertaining to Down syndrome. (registration fees, hotel, transportation - Families are encouraged to share information from the event with the membership at a quarterly meeting)

Items Not Funded include but are not limited to:

• food and clothing
• recreational travel/vacations
• replacements of or supplements to income
• housing support
• insurance premiums
• expenses generally considered to be normal costs of living

How to Request Enrichment Funds:

Funding requests through the Enrichment Fund must enrich the life of the individual with Down syndrome and be documented with appropriate paid receipts. 

An "Active Member" as defined above, should use this application to submit an Enrichment Fund request. By accessing and submitting an Enrichment Fund request, the "Active Member" requesting funds understands and agrees to the above qualifications. 

We strongly encourage families to submit receipts in the quarter (Jan-March, April-June, July-Sept, Oct-Dec) that they are incurred or as soon as possible thereafter. This helps with budgeting and determining whether the total amount of funding needs to be adjusted based on fund raising efforts and usage of the fund. Applications for funds for the 2026 calendar year must be submitted by January 31, 2027.

In 2026 an “Active” family can be reimbursed for up to $1025 per quarter ($4100 annually) in funding that allows them to:

• enrich their child’s life through various services and items and/or
• attend a conference/workshop that will enrich their understanding of Down syndrome. 

Enrichment funds are paid out at 75% of the cost of the item based on valid receipts. Funding is limited to $1025 per quarter per "active" family.  This allows the organization the ability to reassess the amount of funds available after anticipated fundraising efforts. The total amount of funding available for 2026 might be adjusted by the membership if the demand exceeds expectations and/or fundraising efforts are different than anticipated. Any changes will not be retroactive to past quarters, but will apply to future quarters after a membership vote.