Help, programs & free things to do with your kids. Raising kids on one income is hard enough without spending hours figuring out which office handles what. This page pulls together the assistance that actually exists for Bartlett families — childcare help, food help, utility help, and free fun — and every program below was checked against its official source: the state, your county, your township, the school district, the Park District, or the utility itself.
One email every Thursday morning with the weekend’s events in Bartlett, South Elgin and Streamwood — family fests, storytimes, markets and parades, so the free and cheap fun never passes you by.
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Bartlett is unusual: the village spans three counties, and most local help is handed out by county or township — so the right door depends on your address.
Not sure which side you're on? Your property tax bill names both your county and your township, and either township office can point you the right way if you call.
The state's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), run by the Illinois Department of Human Services, helps parents who are working and/or going to school pay for care for children under 13. Families generally qualify with income below 225% of the federal poverty level, and you pay a copay based on your income and family size — the state covers the rest, paid directly to your provider (licensed centers, homes, and many license-exempt providers count).
U-46 provides free developmental screenings for every 3- and 4-year-old who lives in the district, in English and Spanish — and the screening is the required first step toward the district's preschool programs, which are geared to children who need them most. You'll bring your child's birth certificate plus proof of residency and family income. Preschool seats aren't guaranteed, but the screening itself is free for everyone, and it catches speech, language, and learning delays early, when help works best.
The easiest win on this page: School District U-46 serves breakfast and lunch at no cost to every student at every U-46 school — no application, no income test, nothing to sign up for. If your kids are school-age, that's two meals a day, five days a week, already handled.
The Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) is built for exactly this stage of life: if you're pregnant, recently had a baby, or breastfeeding, or you have a child under 5, WIC provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health care, for families who meet the income guidelines. In Illinois it's run by IDHS and delivered through local health departments — the DuPage County Health Department runs WIC clinics in West Chicago, Addison, Wheaton, Lombard, and Westmont, and Cook and Kane county health departments run WIC on their sides of Bartlett.
SNAP puts a monthly grocery budget on an Illinois Link card, based on your household size and income. One state application covers SNAP, medical coverage, and cash assistance together, and it's worth applying even if you're working — many working single parents qualify. Apply online through the state's ABE system, by phone, or in person at an IDHS Family Community Resource Center.
Hanover Township Food Pantry (Cook County side) — 7431 Astor Ave, Hanover Park. Open Mon, Wed & Fri 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m.; Tue & Thu until 6 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–noon. Call 630-540-9085. Diapers and baby wipes are among its most-requested items, so they're used to helping parents of little ones.
Wayne Township Food Pantry (DuPage County side) — a drive-thru pantry at the township office, 27W031 North Ave, West Chicago, Wednesdays 10–11:45 a.m. (seniors 12:30–1:15 p.m.). Any township resident who needs food, cleaning supplies, or toiletries can come. Call 630-231-7173.
Neighborhood Food Pantries also runs a pantry in Wayne, at 30W350 Army Trail Rd — Tue 12:30–3:30 p.m., Thu 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat 8–11 a.m. Hours can change, so confirm before you go.
Start with LIHEAP. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program makes a one-time payment toward your gas and electric bills (and can help with a broken furnace if you own your home). The current season is open now: applications began October 1, 2026 for priority households — which include families with a child age 5 or under, households with someone 60+ or with a disability, and anyone disconnected or facing disconnection — and open November 1, 2026 for all other income-eligible households, first-come first-served until funding runs out. Where you apply depends on your county:
Then check your utilities directly. ComEd's free Smart Assistance Manager (ComEd.com/SAM) matches you to the help you qualify for — LIHEAP, payment arrangements that spread a past-due balance out, and ComEd's Low-Income Discount for income-eligible customers. Nicor Gas runs its own assistance lineup: the Sharing Program offers one-time grants of up to $700 with no repayment (administered by The Salvation Army), its Low-Income Discount Program takes 5%–77% off the total bill for qualifying customers (LIHEAP recipients are enrolled automatically), and the Energy Aide Program grants up to $350 toward a past-due balance. If you're behind right now, call before a shutoff notice arrives — every one of these programs is easier to use early.
For a housing emergency, go to your township. Both Hanover and Wayne Townships run general assistance for residents in a genuine financial emergency — the last-resort local safety net for things like rent and utility crises. Hanover Township's Welfare Services office sits with the food pantry at the Astor Avenue Community Center in Hanover Park (630-540-9085) and its staff also help residents complete LIHEAP and food pantry applications; Wayne Township's office is on North Ave in West Chicago (630-231-7173). If you don't know where to start, start there — sorting out which program fits is literally their job.
Soccer, swim lessons, dance, camp: the Bartlett Park District runs a Financial Aid Scholarship program (supported by the Bartlett Parks Foundation) so Bartlett kids can join programs even when money is tight. The Financial Aid Form is linked right on the district's Registration page — fill it out before you register, and ask Guest Services what's covered this season.
The Bartlett Public Library District (800 S. Bartlett Rd) takes part in the Museum Adventure Pass program: with your library card you can check out a pass — first-come, first-served at the Youth & Teen Services Desk, one per household — for free admission or a discount at places like Brookfield Zoo, the Chicago Botanic Garden, Naper Settlement, and the Elgin and railway museums. The library itself is free fun year-round: storytimes, kids' programs, and a Summer Reading Challenge with prizes.
And keep an eye on the calendar. Most of what's on our events pages costs nothing: park concerts, library storytimes, fests, parades, and markets. The Bartlett events calendar is refreshed daily, with sister calendars for South Elgin and Streamwood. Season by season, the Halloween guide (trick-or-treat hours + the Oct 24 Fun Fest), Thanksgiving guide, and Christmas guide (Breakfast with Santa, the trolley) round up the free holiday fun — and the Thursday email at the top of this page delivers the weekend list so you don't have to go looking.
Hanover Township Youth & Family Services (250 S. Route 59, Bartlett) is the township's own family department: it provides family therapy services, tutoring for students, and outreach and open-gym programs for kids and teens — a real, local place to call when your family needs support that isn't about money. Hanover Township's Human Services team also runs the seasonal programs many Bartlett families quietly rely on: a Backpack Giveaway for school supplies before the school year, and holiday Sponsor-a-Family and toy programs in December. If the holidays are looming large this year, ask the township about them early — those lists fill up.
A last word: every program on this page exists because Bartlett families use it. Applying isn't taking anything from anyone else — it's what the funding is for, and the staff at these offices help people through the paperwork all day, every day.
Is there help with childcare costs in Bartlett?
Yes — Illinois CCAP (above) helps working or in-school parents pay for care for kids under 13; families generally qualify below 225% of the federal poverty level. Apply through your local Child Care Resource & Referral agency or call IDHS at 1-877-202-4453.
Where is the food pantry for Bartlett residents?
There are two, one per township: Hanover Township's pantry at 7431 Astor Ave, Hanover Park (630-540-9085), and Wayne Township's drive-thru pantry on Wednesdays at 27W031 North Ave, West Chicago (630-231-7173). Use the one for the township you live in.
Does the Park District offer scholarships?
Yes — a Financial Aid Scholarship program for residents who need help with program fees; the form is on the district's Registration page at bartlettparks.org.
Are school meals really free?
Yes. Every U-46 student gets breakfast and lunch at no cost, at every school, with no application.
Where do I apply for help with my electric or gas bill?
LIHEAP first — DuPage County Community Services (630-407-6500), CEDA for Cook County (800-571-2332), or Community Contacts for Kane County (847-697-4400) — then ComEd's Smart Assistance Manager and Nicor Gas's Sharing Program for anything left over.
More Bartlett know-how from this guide: the fall events guide for the rest of the season, our guide to why your ComEd bill is so high (and what actually lowers it), and — if you're driving across town for any of the offices above — the Bartlett construction & road alerts before you head out.