By HANNAH MEISEL
& ANDREW ADAMS
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com
Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday kicked off a decade-long process to address the needs of aging Illinoisans, signing an executive order to hire a chief planning officer within the state’s Department on Aging.
With the U.S. Census Bureau estimating that approximately one quarter of Illinois’ population expected to be 60 or older by 2030, the chief planning officer will oversee the creation of a 10-year strategic plan “with the goal of strengthening Illinois as an aging-friendly state,” according to the executive order.
Pritzker’s office did not indicate who might fill that role, but after the position is filled, the clock will start ticking toward a December 2025 deadline to deliver a comprehensive plan to the governor and the General Assembly that could eventually be turned into policy.
In his second term as governor, Pritzker has proposed more state investments in areas like child care and preschool, but he has not yet launched any large-scale efforts to address the growing needs of caretaking for elder adults, especially as the Baby Boomer generation ages.
“We know that it’s not just about supporting aging adults, but also being mindful of caretaker needs and the complex needs of individuals with disabilities, and this plan will ensure no one is left behind,” the governor said in a statement announcing the executive order.
For more than two decades, the state has operated the Illinois Caregiver Support Program, which offers resources to those taking care of elderly parents, neighbors and grandparents — along with grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. But the program is small and not well-known.
Past governors’ administrations have made two-year plans on aging, which continued under Pritzker as Illinois is currently on the state’s fifth such plan. Under the 10-year plan, the state’s chief planning officer is asked to coordinate across agencies including the Departments of Corrections, Insurance and Housing.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.
