Mayor Brandon Johnson, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and Ada S. McKinley Community Services – one of Chicago’s largest and oldest human services organizations – announced a new grant program aimed at providing financial assistance to families of children with disabilities, a population that was disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The $5 million Diverse Learners Recovery Fund will provide one-time grants of $500 to up to 8,000 eligible K-12 students through a lottery. The program provides grants for as many as two eligible students per household, for a maximum one-time payment of $500 for one student and $1,000 for two students. The program is funded by The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLRF) program authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Eligibility Requirements for the Diverse Learners Recovery Fundrf

To apply for the Diverse Learners Recovery Fund, families need to satisfy the following criteria:

1. Live in Chicago.

2. Have a household income less than or equal to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (ex. $90,000 for a household of four, according to the 2023 Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines).

3. Have a student(s) in the household with an identified disability (up to two eligible students per household may be approved).

4. Student(s) is currently enrolled in a K-12 public or private school.

5. Student(s) has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a 504 plan, an Individual Support Plan (ISP) or a doctor’s note verifying a disability diagnosis that is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Eligible parents or guardians can apply online at www.AdaMOPD.com.