Building Recognition and Systems Response for Youth Caregivers
Advancing policy, research, and cross-sector coordination in New York State and beyond.
“No one at school ever asked why I was always tired.”
— 15-year-old caregiver
The Structural Gap
Youth caregiving is not a private family matter. It is a public systems issue.
More than 5 million children under age 18 in the United States provide significant care to loved ones. Yet no national policy framework currently exists to systematically identify or support them.
" The absence is not resilience. The absence is structure. "
5M
youth caregivers
Domestic & International Context
United States – Florida Model
The American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) in Florida has pioneered structured school-based identification and support models. Florida has included caregiving youth questions in its statewide Youth Risk Behavior Survey, revealing that 23.6% of middle school students and 16.4% of high school students report caregiving responsibilities.
International Context – United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has established formal recognition frameworks for young carers embedded within education, health, and social service systems, supported by organizations such as Carers Trust, Barnet Young Carers, My Time Young Carers, and Family Action Young Carers Service.
New York State Policy Momentum
COYE is advancing coordinated policy reform in New York State.
In 2025, Senator Jamaal T. Bailey introduced Senate Bill S6273 directing a statewide study on the number of children serving as caregivers and the impact on their education.
State-level reform in New York can serve as a replicable model nationally.
COYE Policy Priorities
COYE Advocates for:
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- Formal identification standards embedded in schools and healthcare systems.
- Standardized classification frameworks for caregiving intensity.
- Cross-sector referral protocols.
- Statewide data collection initiatives.
- Legislative recognition of youth caregivers as a distinct population.
The Youth Caregiver Coalition
COYE convenes the Youth Caregiver Coalition — a cross-sector alliance of educators, healthcare professionals, community organizations, researchers, and policymakers.
Coalition Goals:
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• Establish identification standards
• Advance legislative recommendations
• Support coordinated research
• Elevate youth caregiver voice
CLOSING STATEMENT
COYE advocates not simply for awareness — but for structural change that ensures youth caregivers are identified, supported, and recognized within the systems that shape their futures.