Dear Friends,

Since our last stakeholder newsletter, I continue to be inspired by how extraordinary this community is. Palm Beach County remains where the work of supporting Caregiving Youth began and where the nation looks for what is possible. Today, the American Association of Caregiving Youth is the organization others turn to for guidance on recognizing and supporting students under 18 who are balancing school and serious caregiving responsibilities.

National recognition is growing, and so is the local need for direct services.

Through the Caregiving Youth Project, we provide hands-on support to more than 700 students in Palm Beach County while strengthening alumni connections and long-term family stability.

Through the Caregiving Youth Institute and our C.A.R.E. framework (Connection, Advocacy, Research, and Education), young leaders like Neo, Omarion, Pranay, and Maddie are elevating the voices of millions of Caregiving Youth nationwide. Your advocacy and outreach make this work possible.

Demand and opportunity are growing faster than our financial resources. Every outreach effort, home visit, workshop, respite activity, and moment of stability for Caregiving Youth depends on stakeholder support. To sustain and expand AACY’s services, donations, partnerships, and sponsors are essential.

If you have stood with us before, now is the time to give again. Your contribution or participation, at any level, directly funds the services Caregiving Youth rely on to stay in school and care for their families.

With deep appreciation,

Connie

P.S. Please consider attending our upcoming AACY Benefit or making a donation to help us continue this work for Caregiving Youth locally and across the country.

Thank you to the donors, supporters, partners, presenters, students, attendees, and AACY team members who made Putting Caregiving Youth on the Map a success on November 13 at the Safe Schools Institute in Boca Raton. The conference brought together leaders from across the country to share research, policy updates, and practical strategies that continue to strengthen recognition and support for Caregiving Youth.

The day reflected the growing national momentum behind this work and the collective commitment of those advancing solutions across systems and communities.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed their time, expertise, and support, and we look forward to continuing the conversation at future gatherings.

We are pleased to share that Caregiving Youth Advocate Rimbatara Neomardhika (Neo) has received the 2025 Leon David Simmons Caregivers Award, presented by Caregivers Outreach Mentorship Empowerment Inc.

Neo was nominated by Maria Miranda, LMSW, in recognition of both his dedicated care for his father following a stroke and his leadership in raising national awareness about Caregiving Youth. He represented AACY at the United Nations screening of the WETA/PBS documentary Caregiving and participated in the PBS Well Beings national call for stories with a seven-part Instagram video journal offering an honest look at the realities faced by students under 18 who are Caregiving Youth. His advocacy continues to elevate the experiences of more than six million Caregiving Youth nationwide.

The award was presented during C.O.M.E.’s 19th Annual Family Caregiver Award Gala in honor of National Family Caregivers Month. Neo’s accomplishments were also recently highlighted by Bayside Highlights, a publication at his high school in New York, which wrote, “Neo embodies the kind of quiet dignity we come across only a few times over the course of our lives.”

AACY Caregiving Youth Ambassador for Texas, Madeline Grace Asbell, continues to draw national attention to Caregiving Youth through media appearances and sustained advocacy.

In January, Maddie was featured on Spectrum News 1 Texas and KVUE Midday News in Austin, where she shared her experience as a Caregiving Youth and discussed the Caregiving Youth Service Hours Program now being piloted in Leander ISD in partnership with AACY. Through this initiative, high school students who provide care for family members at home may have their caregiving recognized as eligible community service hours.

Her broader student-led initiative, Giving Grace: Advocating for Caregiving Youth, has helped spark a resolution passed by the Austin City Council to study the number of Caregiving Youth locally, a partnership with the University of Texas at Austin School of Public Health, and growing awareness of the estimated 5.4 million children in the United States providing care for family members.

In addition to her media leadership, Maddie’s continued social media advocacy for Caregiving Youth has been remarkable. Her consistent voice, storytelling, and outreach help ensure that students under 18 who are Caregiving Youth are seen, understood, and valued. We deeply appreciate her leadership and the impact she continues to make in Texas and beyond.

Recently, the AACY team reconnected with several graduates of the Caregiving Youth Project (CYP), reinforcing an important message: the AACY community does not end at graduation.

We have launched a new alumni initiative that will bring together former CYP students and, over time, other young adults who were Caregiving Youth, even if they did not participate directly in the program.

The group is being led by AACY Board Member Ellyn Okrent, who is helping guide its early development.

While some alumni now live outside Palm Beach County, many remain engaged virtually and through special events. As the initiative grows, alumni may participate in activities, support current students, and help strengthen the broader Caregiving Youth community.

This new effort reflects AACY’s long-term commitment to Caregiving Youth - not only during their school years, but as they move forward into adulthood.

AACY will soon host a local Benefit for Caregiving Youth to support the AACY Caregiving Youth Project (CYP), which currently serves more than 700 middle and high school students in Palm Beach County who provide daily care to chronically ill, disabled, or aging family members while continuing their education.

Through academic support, respite, mentoring, and emotional care, CYP helps students balance school and caregiving responsibilities and has supported more than 3,000 Caregiving Youth over the past 20 years, with a 98% graduation rate.

Funds raised through sponsorships, attendance, and donations directly sustain these essential services for Caregiving Youth and their families.

Hearts & “Soles” Sneaker Ball Benefit | 2026

WHEN:

Friday, March 13, 2026

6:00 PM | Registration, Cocktails, and Hors d'Oeuvres

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Dinner, Dancing, and Live Auction

WHERE:

Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club

2425 W Maya Palm Dr, Boca Raton, FL 

WHEN:

Thursday, November 13, 2025

8:00 AM – 3:00 PM

PURCHASE TICKETS & SPONSORSHIPS HERE:

Tickets | $325 per person & $3,250 per table 

| Here Are a Few Ways You Can Support AACY!

• Commit to a Monthly Donation
• Attend a Local Fundraising Event
• Become a Business/Corporate Sponsor
• Become an Affiliate
• Donate in honor of a loved one and add their name to the American Association of Caregiving Youth Wall of Recognition - makes a great gift!
• Connect AACY to local or national events for Speaking Engagements to educate about Caregiving Youth
• Volunteer to support our students and programs
• Follow, like, share, and comment on AACY's LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram
• Shop AACY Gear
• Write your Representative to advocate for legislation recognizing Caregiving Youth

Mission: We champion youth who provide care for chronically ill, injured, elderly, and/or disabled family members. We support their role as caregiver and guide their success in school and life.

Vision: We envision a nation in which there is understanding, appreciation, and celebration of the lives of Caregiving Youth on their individual path to life’s dreams and opportunities.

The American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) is a Florida 501 (c) (3) corporation.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION (#CH12431) AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR AT WWW.FRESHFROMFLORIDA.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.