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Dear CYP Students,

Graduation month is a special time for you, our CYP family. We are so proud of our seniors and all you have done to manage school and caregiving to reach this important milestone.

Many of you also work outside of school and caregiving to help your families financially. That takes patience, strength, and love. It also means it is important to remember your own well-being.

Taking care of yourself can be simple. It may mean getting enough rest, eating when you can, taking a few deep breaths, talking to someone you trust, or asking for help when things feel too heavy.

Please remember how important you are, too!

This month, we celebrate our graduating seniors, our 8th graders getting ready for high school, and every CYP student doing their best each day!

With care,

Dr. Connie

Greetings, CYP Friends!

April has been a busy month for the Caregiving Youth Project.

On April 11, many of our students spent the day at Camp Treasure. It was a great day outdoors with emergency preparedness, games, canoeing, fishing, archery, and even a young alligator sighting.

We are also working on summer activities and can’t wait to share more soon.

Graduation season is almost here, too. We are especially proud of our seniors. Many have been part of CYP since middle school. Over the years, they have worked hard in school while also helping care for someone at home. Now they are getting ready to graduate, and that is something to celebrate.

We cannot wait to honor them on May 19 at Palm Beach State College.

For our 8th graders, we are also hosting a Stress Buster Contest. Students will have a chance to win prizes and mark their important move from middle school to high school.

More good things are ahead. Before you know it, summer will be here!

Warmly,


The Caregiving Youth Project Team

On Saturday, April 11, more than 30 students spent the day at Camp Treasure at the Everglades Youth Conservation Camp near West Palm Beach.

The day included an emergency preparedness workshop led by Ms. Fatou Benoit from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. Students learned simple ways to be more prepared in an emergency, especially when someone at home may need their help.

They also used “worry cards” to share what has been on their minds. This gave students a chance to speak up about real concerns at home, and it helps AACY understand how to better support them.

After that, everyone enjoyed time outdoors with games, a cookout lunch, canoeing, fishing, and archery. For some students, it was their first time fishing. There was even a young alligator spotted near the canoeing area, so canoeing ended a little early. The alligator seemed to think it had signed up for camp, too.

It was a great day to learn, try something new, spend time with friends, and just enjoy being a kid.

We hope more CYP students will join us for future activities. These days are planned for you, and we would love to see you there!

It's time for graduations!

We are especially proud of our seniors. Many have been part of CYP since middle school. Over the years, you have worked hard in school while also helping care for someone at home. Now that you're graduating, it's time to celebrate. 

We cannot wait to honor you on May 19th at Palm Beach State College's Lake Worth campus.

Seniors, please contact your Family Specialist if you or your family have any questions about the 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.

This month, we are proud to feature E.D., a 12th-grade CYP student who helps care for her grandmother. As she gets ready to graduate, E.D. shares how caregiving has shaped her, what she has learned, and how it has inspired her future.

"There are many moments in my life that have shaped who I am, but one that stands out the most is the day I realized how proud I am to be a caregiver.

It was a regular afternoon after school. I had just come home, still thinking about an exam I had taken earlier, when I heard my grandmother calling me softly from her room. Her voice was weaker than usual. When I walked in, I saw that even sitting up was a struggle for her that day.

Without thinking twice, I helped her adjust her pillows, prepared her medication, and sat beside her while she regained her strength. I remember holding her hand and reassuring her, even though inside I felt worried.

Later that evening, after she was resting comfortably, she looked at me and said, “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

That moment stayed with me. It wasn’t just about helping her physically. It was about being someone she could rely on, someone who understood her without her having to explain.

That’s when I realized that being a caregiver is not a burden. It’s a responsibility filled with love, patience, and strength. It’s something I carry with pride.

Living with my grandmother and helping care for her has shaped my future in ways I never expected. Because of her, I discovered my passion for helping others, especially those facing health challenges.

I’ve been accepted to the University of Miami, where I plan to pursue a path toward a doctoral degree in medicine. I recently started EMT training to gain clinical experience, and every time I learn a new skill, I think about how it will help me care not just for my grandmother, but for many others in the future.

Being a caregiver has given me something that can’t be taught in a classroom: empathy. I understand what it means to be patient, to listen, and to show up for someone even on the hardest days. It has taught me to see people beyond their illness.

Of course, this journey hasn’t always been easy. There were times when I felt overwhelmed balancing school, responsibilities at home, and thinking about my future. Sometimes I didn’t know who to talk to or how to ask for help.

That’s where the Caregiving Youth Project made a difference in my life.

Being part of the program showed me that I’m not alone. It gave me a space where I could share my experiences, connect with other youth who understand what caregiving really feels like, and learn how to take care of myself too. It reminded me that while I care for others, my own well-being matters just as much.

The Caregiving Youth Project helped me find my voice. It gave me confidence to share my story and inspired me to turn my experiences into a purpose.

To other young caregivers out there: your story matters. What you do every day may not always be seen, but it is important.

Your strength, your compassion, and your resilience can inspire others more than you know.

Being a caregiver is a big part of who I am, and I wouldn’t change it for anything."

E.D., we are so proud of you. Your story shows strength, love, and purpose. We are honored to celebrate you as you graduate and take this next step toward your future.

To other young students who are also caregivers out there: your story matters. What you do every day may not always be seen, but it is important.

CYP students are invited to apply for the ECHO Young Carer Anthology Project, a youth-led writing project created by Angela, a Caregiving Youth herself.

ECHO stands for Excerpts of Caring, Healing, and Opening. The project will bring together young carers and Caregiving Youth, ages 13 to 26, to write about caregiving in their own words.

Selected writers will each create one original piece over three months. This could be a poem, essay, letter, short story, or another kind of writing. No writing experience is needed. The goal is to be real, not perfect.

Angela built this project through the Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness Fellowship through Citizens & Scholars. Her goal is to help create one of the first books written by Caregiving Youth, for Caregiving Youth.

This is a special chance to tell your story, be part of a national writing project, and help another Caregiving Youth bring an important book to life.

Applications close May 17, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern.

To apply, scan the QR code on the flyer or visit @projectycan.official on Instagram.

If you have questions, please contact your Family Specialist.

AACY was proud to join Madeline Grace Asbell, also known as Maddie, at the 42nd Annual Aging Life Care Association® Conference in Austin, Texas.

Maddie is a high school student from Leander, Texas, near Austin. She helped bring together leaders in the Caregiving Youth field for the closing session, “Caregiving Youth and Dementia Justice: The Hidden Frontline of Care.”

The session included AACY Founder Dr. Connie Siskowski, Jodi O’Donnell-Ames of Hope Loves Company, and Patti LaFleur of Lorenzo’s House.

Together, they spoke about children and teens who help care for family members, including those living with dementia or other serious health needs.

Maddie’s leadership helped make this important conversation happen. She showed that young people can do more than share their stories. They can also bring people together, open doors, and help create change.

Thank you, Maddie, for using your voice and leadership to help more people understand and support Caregiving Youth.

This month, Caregiving Youth were featured in TIME and Forbes!

These stories help more people understand that many kids and teens are helping care for someone at home while also going to school and managing their own lives.

The TIME article was written by journalist Lisa McCarty, a former Caregiving Youth. She shared how caregiving as a child affected her life and health.

The Forbes article featured AACY Founder Dr. Connie Siskowski and shared how AACY helps identify and support students who provide care at home. It also included Hantz Lafaille, a 12-year-old student in the Caregiving Youth Project.

We are working hard to help more people see, understand, and support Caregiving Youth. When these stories are shared in national news, it helps more adults learn why students like you deserve support at school, at home, and in your community.

A national Caregiving Youth Virtual Connection Call is planned for:

Thursday, November 12, 2026

6:00–7:30 PM Eastern

This call will bring Caregiving Youth together from across the U.S. to connect, share, and be part of a larger conversation.

CYP students may have opportunities to help lead this event. Please contact your Family Specialist if you would like to be considered.

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.