Programs

  • Program 1 [2021]

    THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CAREGIVING YOUTH (AACY) PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICES TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CAREGIVING YOUTH LOCALLY AND RESPONDS TO QUERIES FOR INFORMATION AND SUPPORT FROM OTHER REGIONS IN THE USA. ITS NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL IS CO-CHAIRED BY SARA POOLE OF MCLEAN, VA WHO, ALONG WITH HER TWO YOUNG SONS, PROVIDED CARE FOR TWO YEARS FOR HER MOM WHO HAD ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (SEE WWW.KIDSCAREGIVERSTOO.ORG). THE CO-CHAIR IS MARTIN HUNICUTT OF CHAPEL HILL, NC WHO IS RETIRED FROM DUKE. IN 2014 AACY RECEIVED SEED MONEY TO ESTABLISH THE CAREGIVING YOUTH INSTITUTE TO EXPAND ITS REACH THROUGH C.A.R.E. - CONNECT YOUTH WITH EACH OTHER; ADVOCATE TO EDUCATE LEGISLATORS ON BEHALF OF YOUTH CAREGIVERS; RESEARCH TO EXPAND THE SCANT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS HIDDEN POPULATION; AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONALS. RESULTS FROM THE STATEWIDE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY ADMINISTERED BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, THE FIRST EVER CAREGIVING QUESTION REVEALED THAT AMONG FLORIDA PUBLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, MORE THAN 290,000 ARE DOING SOME KIND OF CAREGIVING FOR A FAMILY MEMBER WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS, DISABILITY OR OTHER HEALTH CONDITION. AS THE US LEADER IN THIS FIELD, AACY HAS A GROWING AFFILIATE NETWORK AND IS FURTHER DEVELOPING ITS NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS. A TOLL-FREE NUMBER, DONATED BY CALL4HEALTH, HELPS TO FACILITATE THIS REACH. NATIONAL PRESENTATIONS, JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA HAVE ALSO HELPED TO RAISE AWARENESS. AACY CONTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLISHED BOOK, "I'M A TEEN CAREGIVER, NOW WHAT?". ITS PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER CONNIE SISKOWSKI, IS A FACULTY MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL RAISE FAMILY CAREGIVER COUNCIL UNDER THE AUSPICES OF HHS. THE CYP STAFF OF AACY CONTINUED SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. CONSIDERED "ESSENTIAL" SERVICES, THE OFFICE REMAINED OPEN THROUGHOUT WITH ADAPTATIONS TO WORK REMOTELY AND SERVICES, INCLUDING ACTIVITIES, WERE PROVIDED VIRTUALLY. TO ALLEVIATE "COVID SLIDE" TUTORING WAS PROVIDED VIRTUALLY FOR 78 STUDENTS. FAMILY MEALS WERE DELIVERED TO HOMES AS WELL AS FOOD AND PPE. INITIALLY ONLY 20% OF CAREGIVING YOUTH RETURNED TO SCHOOL, HOWEVER THAT DOUBLED, ALTHOUGH STILL INADEQUATE, BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. WITH JOB LOSS, MANY CYP PARTICIPANTS NEEDED TO TAKE OUTSIDE WORK TO HELP FINANCIALLY; FOR SOME, THIS IS DELAYING THEIR POST SECONDARY EDUCATION.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $1M

  • Program 2 [2021]

    THE CAREGIVING YOUTH PROJECT (CYP), IN A FORMAL COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL, PROVIDES SERVICES TO CAREGIVING YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH ITS WORK IN 33 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS. ONCE IDENTIFIED AND ENROLLED, A VARIETY OF PRIORITIZED AND NEED- DRIVEN SUPPORT SERVICES CONTINUES FROM SIXTH TO TWELFTH GRADE IN SCHOOL, OUT OF SCHOOL AND AT HOME. THIS HOLISTIC APPROACH HAS RESULTED IN CAREGIVING YOUTH REMAINING IN SCHOOL, PROGRESSING TO THE NEXT GRADE WITH 98% GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND MORE THAN 90% GOING ON TO POST- SECONDARY EDUCATION. AS OF JUNE 2021, THER WERE 451 STUDENTS PARTICIPATING DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR IN ONE REGION OF PALM BEACH COUNTY EXTENDING FROM PALM BEACH TO BOCA RATON AND TO THE WESTERN COMMUNITIES OF PAHOKEE AND BELLE GLADE. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF CYP IN 2006, MORE THAN 2,000 YOUTH HAVE BEEN SERVED WITH AN AVERAGE OF 5.46 YEARS IN THE PROGRAM. THE FAMILY CAREGIVING RESPONSIBILITIES OF YOUTH MIRROR THOSE OF ADULT FAMILY CAREGIVERS, HOWEVER WITH SUPPORT, THE NEGATIVE RAMIFICATIONS ARE AMELIORATED WITH STUDENTS REPORTING SOCIALIZATION, IMPROVED SELF- CONFIDENCE, NO LONGEER FEELING ALONE AND HAVING INCREASED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR ROLE. THERE ARE MANY MORE CAREGIVING YOUTH IN NEED OF SUPPORT IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, IN FL AND THROUGHOUT THE US; THEY DESERVE NOTHING LESS
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    –

  • Caregiving Youth Support Initiative

    THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CAREGIVING YOUTH (AACY) PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICES TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CAREGIVING YOUTH LOCALLY AND RESPONDS TO QUERIES FOR INFORMATION AND SUPPORT FROM OTHER REGIONS IN THE USA. ITS NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL IS CO-CHAIRED BY SARA POOLE OF MCLEAN, VA WHO ALONG WITH HER TWO YOUNG SONS, PROVIDED CARE FOR TWO YEARS FOR HER MOM WHO HAD ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (SEE WWW.KIDSARECAREGIVERSTOO.COM). THE CO-CHAIR IS BRIAN DUKE, FORMER PA SECRETARY OF AGING. IN 2014 AACY RECEIVED SEED MONEY TO ESTABLISH THE CAREGIVING YOUTH INSTITUTE TO EXPAND ITS REACH THROUGH C.A.R.E. - CONNECT YOUTH WITH EACH OTHER; ADVOCATE TO EDUCATE LEGISLATORS ON BEHALF OF CAREGIVING YOUTH; RESEARCH TO EXPAND THE SCANT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS HIDDEN POPULATION; AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONALS. THE CAREGIVING YOUTH RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE HAS FORMED UNDER THE INSTITUTE WHICH HAS HELD FOUR IN PERSON CONFERENCES AND ONE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE, BOTH WITH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRESENTERS. THE NEXT CONFERENCE WILL BE IN APRIL 2025. THERE ARE PROFOUND RESULTS FROM THE STATEWIDE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY ADMINISTERED BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC). THE FIRST EVER CAREGIVING QUESTION REVEALED THAT AMONG FLORIDA PUBLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, MORE THAN 290,000 ARE DOING SOME KIND OF CAREGIVING FOR A FAMILY MEMBER WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS, DISABILITY, OR OTHER HEALTH CONDITION. THIS NUMBER EXCLUDES STUDENTS IN PRIVATE OR VIRTUAL SCHOOLS OR WHO ARE HOMESCHOOLED. AS THE US LEADER IN THIS FIELD, AACY IS PARTICIPATING IN A RESEARCH PROJECT WITH UNC CHAPEL HILL THAT IS FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. IT HAS A GROWING AFFILIATE NETWORK AND IS FURTHER DEVELOPING ITS NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS. A TOLL-FREE NUMBER THAT IS PERSON-ANSWERED, AND DONATED BY CALL4HEALTH,HELPS TO FACILITATE THIS REACH. NATIONAL PRESENTATIONS,JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA HAVE ALSO HELPED TO RAISE AWARENESS. AACY CONTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLISHED BOOK, "I'M A TEEN CAREGIVER, NOW WHAT?" THE AACY PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER DR. CONNIE SISKOWSKI IS A FORMER TOP TEN CNN HERO AND IS A FACULTY MEMBER OF THE RAISE FAMILY CAREGIVER COUNCIL, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE FEDERAL HHS AND ACL WHERE SHE HAS BROUGHT THE VOICES OF THESE CHILDREN TO NATIONAL ATTENTION AND RECOGNITION.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2023 – Jun 30, 2024
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $1.5M