Educating Communities. Elevating Voices. Expressing It All Through Art.
SIP Arts Foundation is an Illinois nonprofit empowering individuals with disabilities and their families through community education on special education laws, disability rights, advocacy training, and creative expression through the arts.
Illinois-Based. Community-Rooted. Arts-Powered.
SIP Arts Foundation, Inc. is an Illinois nonprofit dedicated to community education on special education laws, disability rights, and advocacy for individuals with disabilities and their families. We are the successor organization to PTL Childcare, carrying forward community work that began in 2007 and was formalized as an Illinois nonprofit in 2019. Our 501(c)(3) determination is pending with the Internal Revenue Service.
The Gap We Fill
Many individuals with disabilities and their families do not know their rights under special education law. They often lack access to creative outlets, advocacy support, and neutral community education. Since 2019, first as PTL Childcare and now as SIP Arts Foundation, we have been filling that gap with free, accessible programming rooted in education, advocacy, and the arts.
Nearly two decades of community work.
SIP Arts Foundation carries forward a mission that has evolved over nearly two decades of direct service to Metro East families.
SIP Arts Foundation, Inc. is the successor organization to PTL Childcare. The new entity carries forward the same community commitment with a clarified focus on education, advocacy, and arts-based expression.
Two communities. One mission.
We walk alongside individuals with developmental disabilities and the families supporting them — and alongside adults of all abilities finding their own voice. Different paths, same belief: every person deserves to be heard.
Individuals with developmental disability & their families
Whether a developmental disability has been diagnosed or is just suspected, we walk with the individual and their family through every stage — helping them understand what's happening, what's possible, and what comes next.
- Navigation — diagnoses, services, systems, and next steps
- Educational opportunities — IEPs, IDEA rights, and school advocacy
- Workplace opportunities — transition planning and employment readiness
Voices ready to be heard
We help adults of all abilities use their unique voices to express their truth — turning lived experience into advocacy, community education, and cultural change through the arts.
- Advocacy — built from personal story and lived experience
- Creative expression — writing, recorded testimony, visual art, and media
- Community visibility — platforms that amplify voices too often unheard
Programs & Services
All programs are free. Every offering is designed to build knowledge of special education laws and disability rights, strengthen advocacy skills, and celebrate creative expression for individuals with disabilities and their families — along with adults of all abilities seeking their own voice.
Educate. Empower. Advocate.
Self-Advocacy Meeting
A monthly gathering for self-advocates, family members, and allies across the Metro East. We share experiences, build skills, and elevate the voices of individuals with disabilities in shaping the supports and systems that affect their daily lives. Open to all. No experience required.
How to join
Looking for more community events across the Metro East?
Our partner Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center hosts educational workshops, support groups, and family events throughout the year. Check their calendar for the latest happenings.
Southern Illinois Pathways (SIP)
Our flagship program delivers quarterly workshops on special education law, IEP advocacy, disability rights, and resource navigation — paired with arts-based creative response that amplifies the voices of individuals of all abilities across the Metro East region.
Sign up at southernilpathways.com ↗Pathways Club
A self-advocacy leadership cohort for young people with disabilities, ages 14 to 22. Build skills. Find your voice. Make friends.
A space to lead, connect, and grow.
Young people with disabilities deserve more than services. They deserve community, leadership opportunities, and a space where their voice shapes what comes next.
What members do together
- Build self-advocacy and leadership skills through interactive workshops
- Connect with other young people who get it — across Madison and St. Clair Counties
- Practice public voice, IEP self-advocacy, and life-after-high-school planning
- Enjoy social outings: arts events, community gatherings, and Metro East adventures
- Help shape future SIP Arts Foundation programming through member feedback
Express Interest
Tell us a little about the young person who wants to join. We'll be in touch as soon as registration opens for the Fall 2026 cohort. Welcome to the Club.
Stories Worth Telling. Voices Worth Hearing.
Pathways of the Metroeast is a community-produced art book celebrating the stories, advocacy journeys, and creative expression of SIP program participants. Published through Sip Media & Co., it amplifies the voices of individuals of all abilities and generates earned revenue to sustain our programs.
Nearly two decades. Thousands of lives touched.
Since 2019, first as PTL Childcare and now as SIP Arts Foundation, our work has grown from pandemic-era crisis support to sustained regional service delivery across Madison and St. Clair Counties.
Topics We Address
Board of Directors
SIP Arts Foundation is governed by a six-member Board of Directors providing strategic oversight and fiduciary responsibility. A majority of our Board is independent of staff and daily operations.
Strong governance, transparent operations. The Board meets at least quarterly, maintains a Conflict of Interest Policy, and operates under the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of the State of Illinois.
Become Part of SIP Arts Foundation
There are two ways to join us. Both matter. Both make this work possible.
At SIP Arts Foundation, we believe everyone deserves a seat at the table — regardless of ability or income. Our free Community Membership opens the door for self-advocates, families, and allies to stay connected to our work, our events, and each other. For those able to invest financially, our Member Supporter Circle fuels the programming, advocacy, and arts-based community work that keeps everything we do free for participants.
This movement belongs to you.
If you are a person with a disability, your voice, your leadership, and your lived experience are at the center of SIP Arts Foundation. Join our free Community Membership to stay connected to workshops, the monthly Self-Advocacy Meeting, and the work of leading change.
Community Membership
For self-advocates, family members, educators, and community allies. No dues. No barriers. Just belonging.
- Newsletter with disability rights updates, resources, and event announcements
- Invitations to our quarterly community workshops
- Access to the monthly Self-Advocacy Meeting
- Priority registration for arts-based programming
- A voice in shaping our community work
Member Supporter Circle
For those who can invest financially in this work. Your annual membership directly funds free programming for individuals with disabilities and their families across the Metro East.
- Everything included in free Community Membership
- Recognition in our annual impact report
- Member-only updates on grant wins, program launches, and policy advocacy
- Early access to community art book editions and special events
- The satisfaction of fueling work that stays free for those who need it most
Choose your level below ↓
Choose Your Membership Level
All Member Supporter Circle memberships are annual and renew automatically through Stripe. You can cancel anytime.
- All Community Membership benefits
- Family workshop priority registration
- Resource navigation priority
- Quarterly member update
- All Family Member benefits
- Listed in our annual report
- Invitations to member-only briefings
- Recognition during events
- All Ally Member benefits
- Named donor recognition
- Personal welcome from our Executive Director
- Invitation to annual community gathering
- All Sustaining Member benefits
- Logo placement on our partner page
- Co-branding opportunities for joint events
- Annual partnership planning meeting
Get Involved
There are three meaningful ways to support SIP Arts Foundation and the people we serve.
Let's connect
Whether you are a family looking for support, a potential partner, or a funder who wants to learn more — we would love to hear from you.