CAREGIVING YOUTH PROJECT (CYP)

MISSION: To recognize, support, and promote the awareness of dual role youth who are both students and young caregivers within their families.

EDUCATION and AWARENESS:

• Explore ways to support student-caregivers through teacher awareness and knowledge, school support services, and other cause-related professionals, religious leaders, and organizations.

• Increase community, professional, and government awareness on short and long-term caregiving issues and ramifications on dual role youth.

• Qualify young caregiving hours for student community service hours.

• Promote public awareness through the pursuit of education and fundraising initiatives.

RESEARCH:

• Verify validity of student self-reported data.

• Expand existing data to understand the household tasks, responsibilities and decisions of students who are caregivers by frequency, difficulty, duration, and amount of stress encountered.

• Document baseline knowledge of community professionals regarding the issues of dual role youth.

• Explore ways to assist student-caregivers in recognizing their dual role of student and caregiver.

• Assess and identify the emotional, physical, psychological, spiritual and financial stressors faced by students in their caregiving role.

• Gather information from youth about their perceptions of student-caregiving responsibilities.

DIRECT SERVICES:

• Establish a pilot project in S. Palm Beach County that includes:

• young caregiver assessment

• a support group for student-caregivers

• linkages to community resources

• information and education

• caregiver skills training and communication

• respite

• young caregiver camp or retreat

• Establish a secure website for student-caregivers to utilize as a resource for education, support and communication.

• Develop services to assist families in supporting their children in their dual role.

• Partner with social, healthcare and community agencies to form a network of services available to caregiving families.