The American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) mission is to recognize, support, and promote the awareness of dual role youth that are both students and caregivers within their families. AACY strives to address the needs of pre-teens, teens, families, and professionals through education and awareness, research, and direct services in cooperation with social, education, healthcare, government, and community corporations, organizations, and agencies. AACY seeks to utilize existing resources on a local, regional, and national level to effectively promote the valuable role a caregiving youth has within the family, in an aging society and in our health delivery system.

The American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) was formed under the auspices of Volunteers for the Homebound and Family Caregivers (VHFC), a Florida based 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation that began serving the greater Boca Raton community in 1998. (Filing record of the Florida Department of State, Corporations Division)

AACY is the only organization of its kind in the United States for caregiving youth, a vulnerable and hidden population. It was the lack of support services for a growing population of caregivers under age 18 that prompted VHFC to create the American Association of Caregiving Youth.
Our Purpose:

* Communicate to caregiving youth that they are not alone with this responsibility, here in the United States or in the world
* Prevent negative physical, psychological, emotional and educational ramifications on caregiving youth
* Support youth who carry dual role responsibilities as students & caregivers with skills building, information, education, and resources to assist them in their caregiving role
* Promote the importance, value and worth that the caregiving youth role provides in families, to our society, medical community and the long term care delivery system in the United States.
* Encourage new research on the effects that caregiving has on children
* Provide an avenue for caregiving youth and their families to connect with others in similar situations

Our Objectives:

* To establish an affiliate network of Caregiving Youth Project Partners throughout the United States
* To work with education systems to find innovative solutions so that caregiving youth can be successful in their academic lives
* To partner with health care in the early identification of caregiving youth and their families
* To replicate within the U.S. system supportive program tools using the models of success in the United Kingdom & Australia
* To provide resources for pre-teens, teens, families and professionals about issues and help for caregiving youth
* To create a web-based network of counseling, support and skills building for caregiving youth
* To educate professionals about caregiving ramifications on student development and achievement
* To connect into support networks already in place for caregivers
* To sponsor respite relief including camp for caregiving youth