In our life in general and especially as caregivers, we quickly learn that in order to move forward with a positive attitude, we must remain FLEXIBLE!

Our flexibility must also stay within the boundaries of our values and do what we know to be the right thing. And it's often smart to compromise.

For example, your mother doesn't want to get up to do her exercises and help her recover. Your solution may be to allow her to stay in bed a little while longer but then give her a time when she must exercise. You explain to her that you want her to get better and that she must do her exercises in order to do that.

You exhibit flexibility with her in terms of the time, but you also stay within your values of making sure you are doing your part to help her recover.

If you have questions or need support, please call your Family Specialist or our office. "We are here for you as you are there for your mom!"

Greetings Everyone!

Happy Fall! I hope everyone is enjoying the start of this wonderful season 😊. 

We kicked off our activities with Family Feud Night via Zoom this month. What an enjoyable moment to see the reactions to the responses of your answers. What a fun night! 

At the end of the month, you also got to sit back and relax to a virtual movie, The Little Mermaid (2023). It was wonderful to see you and your families gathered to see the movie. 

Look out for upcoming activities! We’ve begun sending out invites for the AACY Holiday Party on December 17th. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to accept the invite, select a gift of choice, and choose the time slot you would like to attend the day of the party before it fills up. 

Remember to text the word ALERT to 22300 to opt in to continue receiving important messages about your Caregiving Youth Project. We have a ton of fun upcoming events planned for October!

If you want to see some pictures of you and your events, visit (and follow!) our Instagram @caregivingyouthproject.

Thank you.

Andreana Holliman, BA

The Caregiving Youth Project program is celebrating its 17th year in the Palm Beach County School District! We are grateful for the support of our compassionate and dedicated staff, including principals, assistant principals, school counselors, behavioral health professionals, teachers, main office secretaries, and everyone else who helps make our program successful in serving caregiving students and their families.

This month, we would like to extend special gratitude to a few of the many Palm Beach School District personnel who support the Caregiving Youth Project program in 35 middle and high schools across the county:

• Dr. Rachel Capitano, South Area Superintendent
• Dr. Camille Long, North Area Superintendent
• Karen Whetsell, Central Area Instructional Superintendent

Thank you for your commitment and efforts to bridging support for our students!

In this section, we're all about supporting you. We'll post entertaining and educational social media content to keep you occupied and entertained, and we'll feature videos or stories of other current or former young caregivers in the US and worldwide. Some stories are old, and some are new, but they all have one thing in common: they show that you're not alone.

We hope that this section will provide you with a little bit of support and encouragement during your caregiving journey. Whether you need a laugh, a break from the stresses of caregiving, or a reminder that you're not alone, we're here for you. Thank you for all that you do for your family.

This new feature of the newsletter aims to give you a platform to share your stories and experiences and to raise awareness of the challenges and triumphs of being a caregiver in middle and high school.

You'll hear from Caregiving Youth from all over our CYP programs in Palm Beach County, caring for loved ones with various medical diagnoses and conditions. They will share their insights through writing prompts, creating a space for their voices to be heard.

We hope that you will find these stories inspiring and informative. We also encourage all of you to participate! Keep writing and sharing!

"Choose a name: Beautiful Flower

What would you like us to know about your caregiving situation?

I am in 10th grade. I care for my Mother who needs to be taken care of because she suffers from breast cancer, lung and brain metastasis. 

Write about a dream you have for your future. How does your caregiving experience fit into that dream?

My dream as a Caregiving Youth is to be able to give my Mother and family what they need, for example, money, a great nice house, and the best cancer treatment. My dream is to feel my family in peace and not worry about anything.

Write about a dream you have for your future. How does your caregiving experience fit into that dream?

I think that being a Caregiving Youth member is helping me to be more mature, knowing that life is not easy and that it has bad and good things. The project helps me to make more friends with the activities. AACY let me join a new community that has kids like me, and I feel normal with them. Additionally, the coaching service did help me with some family problems. It has also helped me to solve problems in the best way ever."

Thank you, 'Beautiful Flower' - Congratulations on being the first to kick off this new initiative and sharing your story with all of us! We know you'll continue to bloom at school and in life!

This month, we are featuring a YouTube interview on Caregiving Youth published by the New York Times a few years ago. We have been working together in Palm Beach County for many years helping kids who are caregiving succeed.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Connie! May she continue to be a shining thread in the beautiful tapestry of the world to make it a better place by championing children who are caregivers.

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.