American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY)’s Post

“School holidays are the "loneliest time." Caregiving Youth are even more isolated during the summer when school is out. This recent BBC article (https://lnkd.in/eKWNt9sZ) highlighted young carers' challenges during summer break. The situation is the same for kids who are caregivers in the US. With schools no longer providing structure, caregiving hours often increase for these young people. This increase in responsibility can lead to social isolation, emotional strain, and difficulty managing their own well-being. Unlike the UK, the US lacks formal government support systems for Caregiving Youth. They aren't recognized as a distinct population with unique needs due to their age and student status. There are glimmers of hope. A recent US Government Accountability Office survey (results pending) is exploring this issue. The Senate Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act (S. 4325), introduced by Senator Susan Collins and Senator Tammy Baldwin, expands the definition of family caregiver to include Caregiving Youth. Additionally, National caregiving advocacy organizations like ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, National Alliance for Caregiving, and National Health Council are beginning to join us in raising awareness about this issue. We've received notable national media coverage from the TODAY Show, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, FOX News Network, and others. We need to do more. As Saul Becker - Carers Trust Ambassador wrote last year: "Why isn't the USA learning from the positive policies, services, and interventions for young caregivers in other countries?" "Why are young caregivers in the USA still largely invisible, hidden, and ignored? For these children, this amounts to punishing them for caregiving. Why would any country want to do that to its children and young people?" ### American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) Connie Siskowski, RN, PhD Feylyn Lewis, PhD Brian Duke Andy McGowan

Being a caregiver is a role that knows no boundaries. And when care responsibilities fall upon a child or young adult, these young caregivers often have to sacrifice important aspects of their education and personal development to meet the care needs of their loved ones—often parents, grandparents, and siblings. A new study published by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health documents some of the impact of caregiving on youth and young adults. They found that conservative estimates show 1.6 million youth (ages 15-18) and 2 million young adults (ages 19-22) are caregivers, and that their care duties regularly take time away from education and extracurricular activities. That means that for many caregiving youth, they’re missing upwards of 40-70 minutes per day on education-related activities in order to absorb caregiving responsibilities. That can have drastic long-term effects on educational attainment and economic stability, researchers found, and suggests a massive need for deeper investment, solutions, and policies supporting young caregivers. Read more about the study and how it’s putting a glaring spotlight on caregiving youth and young adults at this link: https://lnkd.in/ecVi2-Uf #caregiving #caregivingyouth #education

There is a new study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health on the plight of young caregivers in the United States. Some key takeaways: 🔅An estimated 1.6 million youth ages 15-18 and 2 million young adults 19-22 are providing care to an adult. 🔅They are more likely to be non-white and there was a nearly equal distribution of male and female caregivers. 🔅Both youth and young adult caregivers are less likely to be enrolled in school and spend significantly less time on educational activities than their peers. Though not completely surprising because I've seen first hand the struggles youth and young adults have with trying to care for someone and going to school, it's a bit of a shock to see some of them aren't going to schools at all. We must continue to draw attention to young people who are caregivers so that they can get the support they need. I will put the link to an article about the study in the comments. #youthcaregivers #caregiving #youngadultcaregivers #caregivers #collegestudents #highschoolstudents #highereducation

https://lnkd.in/eiq38B9Q Terrific resources but they are not enough. The schools need to be addressing the issues by offering systematic support. That goes for the colleges and universities also. I am sure there are some informal avenues, but we need to institutionalize support for caregiving, perhaps beginning with our youngest caregivers. If caregiving is a burden for adults can you imagine what it's like for children? There are advocacy groups, but we need critical intervention. Enough is enough. Can you also even imagine withholding resources from these children? Well, apparently they can't get anything until the Senate passes a bill acknowledging that they're entitled to the same resources as adult caregivers. What is wrong with us? In my opinion, we should not even be relying on these children to fill this gap. It's detrimental to their education and their physical, mental and social well-being. #newagingpartnership #caregivingconfidential #caregivingsupport

💫 Our next Reimagining Child Care (RCC) Research Study Grantee Spotlight is Economic Security Project (ESP)! ESP advocates for transforming the economy through innovative campaigns, interventions, and research. ESP’s Cash as Care campaign promotes guaranteed income for care providers and families, advocating that cash is necessary to transform the care ecosystem and is a fundamental determinant of health and well-being.    The RCC Research Study, funded by RWJF, tells the story of ESP’s Cash as Care work. This initiative is shifting the narrative around care by promoting the idea that guaranteed income supports parents and caregivers. ESP is mobilizing individuals through community engagement and events, organizing public support by building coalitions and partnerships, and positioning cash as a core component of the care movement by demonstrating its benefits and fostering collaboration among funders and policymakers. Within these efforts, ESP also deeply ties in the role cash plays to promote health and well-being for carers. These efforts aim to integrate guaranteed income into broader care infrastructure and policy.    ESP’s Cash as Care Campaign: https://lnkd.in/emHgunv3   RCC Research study: https://lnkd.in/gfGjx9b9 #childcare #RWJF 

Early Learning Nation's recent article on the care economy and child advocacy highlights the interconnected nature of caregiving—spanning from child care to elder care—and its critical role in driving a thriving economy. The piece emphasizes the need to view all forms of care holistically, ensuring equitable public investment for children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities alike. Key takeaways: 🔑 The care workforce, predominantly women of color, continues to face systemic undervaluation and low wages. 🤝 Advocates are uniting to push for fair wages, improved working conditions, and comprehensive care policies. 🔑 The pandemic further underscored the essential nature of care work and the urgent need for stronger supports. Thank you, Mark Swartz, for your continued coverage on why #CareCantWait and for drawing lessons from advocates and organizers. Together, we can build on these lessons and work towards a future where marginalized young children can thrive, as outlined in FCD’s policy paper (https://lnkd.in/eVEB6ZUD).

Very excited to share the results of the evaluation I led on increasing equitable access to child care grants. We worked with Minnesota DHS to design and evaluate a multimodal communications bundle of emails, one-way text messages, and semi-scripted phone calls designed to reach potential beneficiaries who might not be reached via one mode of contact, but could potentially be reached through a different mode. We found that outreach by text increased awards of child care awards by 3.8 percentage points, while combining calls with text outreach increased awards by 5.2 percentage points. Among child care providers with no prior awards, outreach that included calling increased awards by 12.4 percentage points — an effect five times larger than outreach by text alone. In contrast, among child care providers previously awarded grants, outreach by text alone increased awards by 5.3 percentage points. The findings suggest that specific types of interventions work for specific target populations by addressing different behavioral barriers. Check it out!

Families struggling to afford costly at-home care alongside other skyrocketing expenses have pushed middle-school and high-school aged students to step in as unpaid caregivers for family members, a caregiving youth advocate told Fox News Digital. "We are seeing more students, and one of the reasons is certainly the economy, because people who do not have disposable income cannot afford to hire help at home," said Connie Siskowski, founder and president of the American Association of Caregiving Youth. At-home healthcare costs have skyrocketed, rising 72% between December 2005 and March 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, child caregivers under 18 more than quadrupled from 1.3 million in 2005 to 5.3 million in 2020, according to a May 2020 report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and the American Association of Retired Persons.  By Megan Myers Fox News https://lnkd.in/gBFqJ7iN

Yesterday The Century Foundation published a new report I coauthored with Laura Valle-Gutierrez. We found that families are facing higher child care prices, providers are managing staffing shortages and families are feeling squeezed. We also noted that when we invest in child care it turns out things get better. This is a solvable problem if only we have the political will to solve it. #childcare #carecantwait #childcareforall We dug in on data for NY, OH, VA, PA and WI. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/gSfRDdKu

Who Are Caregiving Youth? Caregiving Youth are young people under the age of 18 years who provide care or support for family, relatives, or household member(s) of any age who require assistance due to chronic (3 months or more) illness, age-related decline, disability, or other health condition. There Are over 5,400,000 Caregiving Youth in the U.S. -More than 70% assist a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent. -Many care for disabled siblings or other family members. -34% help more than one person in the household. Source: Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 – AARP Research Report – National Alliance for Caregiving (National Alliance for Caregiving) and AARP. Why Should We Care? Caregiving for a loved one is among the most demanding, challenging, and rewarding human activities. Although children are commonly thought of as the recipients of care — rather than the givers — children all over the world participate actively in caregiving every day. The U.S. does not yet have formal policies or support systems in place for these young people as we do for adult caregivers. Furthermore, schools do not typically identify or provide support for Caregiving Youth, which puts them at risk for academic, social, and emotional challenges.