Boone County, IL
Get paid to care for your family member in Boone County, Illinois
About 9,540 people in Boone County are 65 or older — 18% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Illinois as a whole. Roughly 927 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Who needs care in Boone
- People 65 and older
- 9,540
- People 85 and older
- 927
- Median age
- 40.5
- Rank in Illinois
- 30th
18% of Boone residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 102 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Boone County is a smaller-city county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2). Illinois as a whole is 18% aged 65 or older.
What Illinois pays family caregivers
$18–$20/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Illinois Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Illinois's programs at a glance
- Community Care Program (CCP)
- Home Services Program (HSP)
- MFTD Waiver (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Illinois guide →
Towns and cities in Boone County
Illinois sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Belvidere and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Boone County:
- Belvidere25,325
- Poplar Grove5,165
- Loves Park1,618
- Capron1,402
- Timberlane902
- Cherry Valley336
- Caledonia182
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Boone apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Boone County start with Illinois's program:
Age 60+: call the Senior HelpLine 800-252-8966 to reach the local Care Coordination Unit for a CCP assessment; under 60: apply through the local DHS-DRS Home Services Program office; medically fragile children: contact UIC DSCC.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Illinois program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Boone questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Boone County?
Yes. Illinois runs real Medicaid programs — like Community Care Program (CCP) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Boone County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Boone County?
Reported figures in Illinois are around $18–$20/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Boone County apply?
Families in Boone County start with the state, not the county. Age 60+: call the Senior HelpLine 800-252-8966 to reach the local Care Coordination Unit for a CCP assessment; under 60: apply through the local DHS-DRS Home Services Program office; medically fragile children: contact UIC DSCC.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Boone County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Illinois: limited — CCP: yes, any family member including a spouse may be hired (recent expansion, via agency with background check + 24-hr training); HSP: no, spouses excluded as legally responsible relatives
How many people in Boone County might need this?
9,540 residents of Boone County are 65 or older and about 927 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Illinois's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Boone do you cover?
All of Boone County — including Belvidere, Poplar Grove, Loves Park, Capron and Timberlane. Eligibility is set by Illinois, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Illinois's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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