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Dear CYP Students,

With school out for the summer, I hope you can enjoy some sunshine during the cooler parts of the day and notice some of the beauty around you. Enjoying these gifts of life can be calming, and your phone can help you capture unexpected images.

If you went on the trip to Rescue Life, you may have seen the baby ducks! I also spotted a bright green lizard that was hard to see on a bird feeder. And then, on a back road, a peacock strolled right in front of my car. How majestic!

Please send us your pictures of nature’s beauty so we can share them in our next Treasure Talk newsletters for others to enjoy!

Plus, take time for fun at our summer events. We can’t wait to see you!

Your CYP family is here for you.

With care,

Dr. Connie

Greetings, CYP Friends!

Summer is already busy for AACY’s Caregiving Youth Project!

Students have spent time with animals at Rescue Life Sanctuary, cooled off at Rapids Water Park, enjoyed painting together at Painting with a Twist, and shared meals, laughs, moments, and time with friends.

We know that for you, our CYP students, summer break does not always mean a break from caregiving responsibilities. Many of you are still helping care for someone at home, and those responsibilities may even increase when school is out.

That is why we try to provide activities that give you time to step away, be with other students who understand, and enjoy experiences planned just for you with others who are caregivers too.

Below are a few highlights from the season so far.

Next up is the Family Picnic! You’re invited, and we hope to see you there. Please contact your Family Specialist to reserve your spot, check in, or let us know if you need anything while school is out.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Be well! Do good! Reach out if you need us! Make sure to check your texts!

The CYP Team

AACY’s Caregiving Youth Project kicked off summer activities with a visit to Rescue Life Sanctuary in Palm Beach Gardens.

Students spent the day outdoors meeting horses, zebras, alpacas, donkeys, birds, pigs, and more. They also met Quackers, the goose who thinks he is a dog and likes to follow people around!

The students learned about animal rescue and rehabilitation, enjoyed fresh air, and had time to relax with each other. It was a special day filled with animals, laughter, and a break from caregiving responsibilities.

Many thanks to Florida State Representative Megan Weinberger, founder of Rescue Life Sanctuary, for opening the sanctuary to our students.

Students in AACY’s Caregiving Youth Project recently spent the day at Rapids Water Park!

The agenda was simple: water slides, lunch, snacks, friends, and a break from the usual routine.

Everyone rode the slides, ate together, laughed, talked, and spent time with others who understand what it means to be a Caregiving Youth.

Sometimes respite looks like water rides and lunch with friends. Nothing complicated. Just a day off.

We hope everyone who joined us had a great time and made memories that belong just to them.

Ten girls from AACY’s Caregiving Youth Project spent the afternoon at Painting with a Twist for a Dream It, Be It event with Soroptimist International Boca Raton/Deerfield Beach.

The girls painted, laughed, spent time together, and left with artwork that was completely their own. Each painting started with the same idea, but each one turned out a little different.

This afternoon gave the girls time to focus on themselves, their creativity, and their own futures.

We hope everyone who joined us enjoyed the time to create, connect, and dream about what comes next.

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 sharing the story of Fisher Brinegar, a young man who recently found AACY and reached out because he wanted other Caregiving Youth to know they are not alone.

Fisher was not part of AACY’s Caregiving Youth Project, but his story may feel familiar to many of you. He helped care for his dad for many years after his dad had a spinal cord injury. Now, Fisher is getting ready for college and football after committing to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

His story is about caregiving, family, responsibility, and finding a way forward.

A few weeks ago, Fisher Brinegar found AACY on Instagram and reached out to share his story.

For many years, Fisher was a Caregiving Youth. After his father, Ronnie Brinegar, had a spinal cord injury, Fisher began helping care for him when he was very young. He helped with meals, laundry, getting ready for the day, moving in and out of the car, and many other daily needs at home.

He continued helping care for his dad until his dad passed away in April 2025.

Fisher shared that caregiving was not always easy. It came with responsibility, hard days, and times when he wondered why so much had been placed on his shoulders. But through those years, he and his dad also shared a close bond built on love, family, and being there for each other.

His dad supported him too. Ronnie encouraged Fisher’s football dreams, believed in him, and helped guide him toward the next chapter of his life.

Now, Fisher is getting ready for college and football! He recently announced that he has committed to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as an offensive lineman.

Fisher was not part of AACY’s Caregiving Youth Project, but his story is one many CYP students may understand. He reached out because he wants other Caregiving Youth to know they are not alone.

His story is also a reminder that being a Caregiving Youth does not mean you have to give up on your own goals. Your path may look different from someone else’s, but there is still room for your future, too.

We are grateful Fisher found AACY and shared his story with us.

We wish him the very best as he begins this exciting next chapter, and we look forward to sharing more about him, cheering him on, and celebrating his achievements wherever life takes him.

Hurricane season has begun, and every family should have a plan before a storm or emergency happens.

For Caregiving Youth, planning can be different. You may need to think about your own safety and also about someone you help care for at home.

That might mean knowing where medications are kept, what supplies need to come with you, who your family would call, or how a parent, grandparent, sibling, or another family member would leave safely.

AACY has been talking with the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management about how Caregiving Youth and their families can be better included in emergency planning.

Caregiving Youth should not be invisible when emergencies happen. We are working to help make sure you and your families are seen, included, and supported.

Please talk with your family about your plan. Where would you go? What would you bring? Who would you call?

If your family needs help thinking through a plan, please reach out to your Family Specialist.

Madeline Grace Asbell, one of AACY’s National Youth Ambassadors and the founder of Giving Grace: Advocating for Caregiving Youth, recently represented Miss Metroplex’s Teen 2026 at the Miss Texas’ Teen competition in Richardson, Texas.

Madeline brought her advocacy for Caregiving Youth with her to one of the largest youth stages in Texas.

She founded Giving Grace when she was 14. Since then, she has spoken up for Caregiving Youth in her community, worked with AACY, and helped create new ways for students to be seen and supported.

She also created the Giving Grace Visionary Scholarship for Miss Texas’ Teen delegates. As young women applied, some identified themselves as Caregiving Youth for the first time.

Every new audience helps more people understand that children and teens can be caregivers too. It also helps more young people recognize their own story.

AACY is SO proud of Madeline and grateful for the way she continues to use her voice for Caregiving Youth!

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.