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When no one is responsible, are we all not responsible?

We at AACY were thrilled to have enjoyed our CYP Holiday Party with many of you and your families! As we enter 2025, please remember to encourage others in your circles of friends at school and elsewhere, who may be having a tough time. 

Together let's help others be a little stronger by reaching out, listening, and supporting! 

We cannot be responsible for what another chooses to do, say, write, text, or email; we can be responsible for our own words and actions. 

Let's make 2025 the Year of and for Caregiving Youth!

Happy New Year, CYP Friends!

Our featured activity for December was the AACY 2024 Holiday Party. It was so great to see all of your smiling faces! Our theme for this year was Holiday Around the World, and as you and your family made your way around the party, you saw a touch of culture here and there 😊. 

It was such a delight to see many of you engaged in learning and playing the African drums, making bracelets that represent your culture, taking pictures with the various backdrops in the hallway, enjoying Caribbean food, receiving gifts, selecting items from the boutique, making crafts, the raffles, music and so much more! It was such a wonderful experience! 

Thank you to all of our donors, staff, and volunteers who made this experience one to remember! 

Stay tuned for more fun, and don't forget to check out your event photos on our Instagram @caregivingyouthproject! Be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming activities as well.

Thank you.

Andreana Holliman, BA

Holiday portraits of some of you—our Caregiving Youth—captured by Michael Conner. There are many more photos on AACY's Facebook page, or you can contact andreana@aacy.org to request your family's pictures from this event.

We're here to support you on your caregiving journey. We'll share fun and educational content, inspiring stories from caregivers who are students or people around the world who are trying to help, and reminders that you're not alone. Thank you for all that you do for your family.

"I’d like to highlight our caregiving youth who are also living with disabilities themselves. We have several students in our program who are living with various disabilities, including those with muscular dystrophy and macular degeneration.

We had the opportunity to take our students kayaking this past November. On this trip, we had Raquel - a 10th grader join us for her first activity. And she is fully blind.

Raquel is a caregiver for her younger sister who also has vision impairment and autism.

Raquel is a very independent young woman and assists her sister with daily tasks around the house and schoolwork, and she’s teaching her sister to read Braille! And this is all while learning English!

Raquel and I got into our two-person kayak, and she told me about how hard she had to work to convince her parents to let her join us for the activity (She told me she may have shed a few tears for sympathy points). She was nervous but determined to get out on the water, and when we got into our boat, she was an absolute natural.

I challenge readers to consider – where do the limitations truly lie? We can be so quick to set boundaries for individuals of various abilities, but our students show us time and time again that they are resilient and that they are more than able to break barriers and exceed any limitations imposed on them.

Students like Raquel remind us that caregivers are incredibly resilient individuals who will rise to the occasion every time." - Thamar Mathias, AACY Family Specialist

Thanks, Thamar, for telling us about this caregiving student. This story shows how tough and brave kids can be. Keep being awesome, Raquel!

Recently launched in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Kare: The Magazine for Young Caregivers is a special publication created to support Canadian Young Caregivers who care for family members facing illness, disability, mental health challenges, or issues related to aging.

Did you know that about 1 in 10 teens in Canada takes on caregiving responsibilities? Kare was designed to support young caregivers on their journey with:

• Personal stories from other Young Caregivers
• Helpful advice for managing stress and responsibilities
• Fun quizzes and easy-to-understand information

The creators of Kare wanted it to be something young caregivers could easily pick up, enjoy reading, and return to whenever they need support or encouragement.

If you would like to check it out, you can read it here! KARE MAGAZINE

We’re excited to share that AACY was recently featured on WPTV, highlighting the important role Caregiving Youth play in their families and the support AACY provides.

The story focused on 17-year-old Ella Chisholm, who helps care for her younger sister, who is legally blind and non-verbal. Ella shared, “I take her to school every day. I wake up early and make sure she gets to school on time. And I help her with daily things like feeding, getting dressed, and small stuff like that.”

In the segment, Dr. Connie Siskowski, AACY’s President, explained how Caregiving Youth often help with important tasks like bathing, feeding, giving medications, and more.

Did you know? Palm Beach County is the only county in the U.S. with a direct services program just for Caregiving Youth!

We’re proud to see Caregiving Youth like Ella being recognized for their dedication and hard work.

Rhode Island is the first state in the U.S. to officially recognize Caregiving Youth with a proclamation. This recognition helps more people understand the important role Caregiving Youth play in their families and the challenges they face while balancing school, caregiving, and daily life.

The American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) worked with Rhode Island leaders to make this happen. Proclamations like this raise awareness and encourage schools, community groups, and local leaders to provide more resources and support for students who are caregiving for family members.

Let's celebrate this big step and hope other states follow Rhode Island's lead in recognizing and supporting Caregiving Youth!

Big news! Palm Beach County officially declared December as Caregiving Youth Appreciation Month to recognize the important role that Caregiving Youth like you play in their families and communities.

The proclamation was presented by Commissioner Marci Woodward, one of the local leaders who helps make decisions for our community. By making this official, she and others are showing that Caregiving Youth matter and deserve recognition and support.

Thank you, Palm Beach County, for celebrating our caregiving students and their important role in their families and communities!

Join us and spread the word! To participate in our program, Caregiving Youth Project (CYP) participants must reside in Palm Beach County and can be referred through personal outreach, recommendations from school staff, or other organizations. Our support is provided both at school and in the home.

If you are a Caregiving Youth or know someone who is but they don't live in Palm Beach County, please encourage them to email us at info@aacy.org. We are committed to helping them find resources, no matter where they reside in the United States.

988 Crisis Hotline

We at AACY believe that prioritizing mental health is a year-round endeavor. When you're having a difficult time, it's important to seek help. Thankfully, there is a new phone resource available no matter where you are in the US!: Just dial the 9-8-8 hotline.

This hotline is available 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Don't suffer in silence - get help and keep hope alive.