Florissa

11/21/2025

We’ve had a busy few weeks at Florissa! Our staff recently provided three community trainings to partners across the area, and we’re so grateful for every opportunity to connect, share knowledge, and learn together.

Ogle County Educational Cooperative
4-C: Community Coordinated Child Care
CASA - 15th District

Whether in person or virtual, part of a conference or small gathering, supporting our community is at the heart of what we do, and we’re thankful to be part of a network that cares so deeply about children and families!

11/17/2025

Help prepare your kids for Thanksgiving gatherings! Below is a social narrative created last year by the Resource Center for Autism and Developmental Delays (RCADD). To use this story, sit together with your child when they are calm and attentive. Share this story with them before you gather with family or friends. Review it as many times as your child is interested in it. 😊 Or create your own narrative with real-life pictures that highlight the activities your family will engage in. Social narratives help prepare children for events, teaches them expected behaviors, and decreases their anxiety and distress.
Happy Thanksgiving!

11/13/2025

Our new sign is up and looks great! A reminder that our entrance is in the back of the building at 144 North Court in Dixon. 😉 Thank you to OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center for installing the sign!

11/13/2025

Have a child with learning or executive functioning challenges? Check out these free webinars on providing support at home!

https://reg.learningstream.com/view/cal10a.aspx?aa=&aid=SLDSP&as=111&cat1=&cat2=&cat3=&cc=&ek=&ms=&nav=&pn=&ref=&rf=&sid1=&sid2=&tz=&wp=461

11/12/2025

The aurora is created when the energy of the sun meets the atmosphere — sometimes storms create the most beautiful skies.
Our children’s emotions can be like that, too — intense, colorful, and full of potential when met with understanding and care.

If you didn’t catch the northern lights last night, there’s another chance this evening! Look north and try viewing through a camera lens as they capture colors and details our eyes can’t see.

11/11/2025

When adults take care of their own mental health, they’re not being selfish — they’re strengthening the foundation their children grow up on. 🌱

OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center, one of our partnering agencies, is offering SilverCloud, a free, confidential, online mental health platform to adults in the Sauk Valley region. Through the program, individuals can access modules that include mindfulness exercises, journaling prompts, mood tracking, and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.

• Free and confidential
• No referral or insurance required
• Available to individuals 18+ in the
OSF healthcare service area
• Accessible anytime, anywhere

Visit

We design programs to fit into your life. Based on years of clinical research, our methods are proven to help you feel better. Read more

11/10/2025

Did you know the saguaros in Saguaro National Park grow to completely different heights depending on which side of the park they’re in? Same species, same desert—different conditions.

It’s such a beautiful reminder that people grow differently too. The environments we’re in, the support we get, and the challenges we face all shape how we develop. Growth isn’t a race or a comparison. It’s simply each of us doing the best we can with the environment we have.






(Image from More Than Just Parks)

11/04/2025

Another upcoming webinar!

Emotional Regulation: Helping Children Navigate Big Feelings

November 6, 2025
11:00 a.m. CST

Join us for a caring and informative session designed to help parents understand and support their little ones through big emotions. Learn simple, effective strategies to build your child’s emotional toolkit and foster calm, confidence, and resilience.

11/03/2025

We are offering a young adult group this fall for ages 18-22 years old to meet with their peers to connect and learn together. Please see the attached flyer for more information and how to register.

10/30/2025

Have a child planning to transition to college? Check out the following webinar that will cover:

👉 Navigating the shift to college life
👉 Identifying key mental health and academic supports
👉 Understanding executive functioning challenges
👉 Building strategies for stress management, routines, and self-care

Preparing for College Success: Mental Health, Independence & Executive Function Skills

Monday, November 3, 2025
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm CST

🎉Free🎉

https://childmind.org/event/preparing-for-college-success/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=clinical&utm_campaign=college-success-2025-10-23&utm_content=register-button-1g to ar

Join us for upcoming talks, workshops, conversations and fundraisers, virtual and in-person.

10/28/2025

Halloween is almost here! And as fun as it can be, it may also be stressful for your child. Check out some tips on how to help your child navigate the holiday.

For many children, Halloween is a sanctioned opportunity to hit the town and get some major developmental work done, exhibiting mastery over their environment, testing out confident interpersonal interactions, and building a social network. But for plenty of other kids, those same opportunities loom as huge challenges.

Parents want the best for their children, and for their children to be seen as capable and engaged in the eyes of their peers. But it is the comfort and joy of kids that should come first. If this isn’t the year for your child to break out of her shell or for him to be able to handle extended activities with peers, there is always next year.

Here are some tips for parents whose children aren’t the happiest trick-or-treaters:
https://childmind.org/article/navigating-halloween-fears-and-dilemmas/

10/27/2025