Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Establishing Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Pilot Program

Governor JB Pritzker today signed House Bill 0780 to establish the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Pilot Program in Will County beginning January 1, 2024, through January 1, 2027. The Illinois Department on Aging worked in close coordination with Leader Natalie Manley to establish this legislation that amends the Illinois Act on Aging.

It will require an intake coordinator for Will County to be responsible for connecting grandparents raising grandchildren to relevant resources and services provided by state agencies. In Illinois, nearly 264,000 children under the age of 18 are living in a home where a relative is the head of the household, and more than 70,000 grandparents across the state are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren.