Typically when we think of caregivers, we picture adults — spouses or grown sons and daughters caring for a partner or parent.
Typically when we think of caregivers, we picture adults — spouses or grown sons and daughters caring for a partner or parent. But about 5.4 million caregivers in the U.S. are under age 18, according to the AARP and American Association of Caregiving Youth.
One Florida survey estimated that 16% of high schoolers and one-quarter of middle schoolers are involved in caregiving in some capacity. And the number of child caregivers — most common in Asian, Latino and Black American families — is actually growing, as more people struggle to afford in-home care, experts say. In a segment aired July 10, TODAY spoke with two such caregivers, 14-year-old Jacob Gutierrez and 17-year-old Rocco Fernandez. 'Every day when I’m in school, I call at least one or two times per day, making sure that everyone’s all right. There can be a lot of stress put on me,' Jacob said. 'I never really saw it as a burden. I just saw it as me caring for my mother, because that what a son is supposed to do,' added Rocco. Being a caregiver as a child can result in anxiety and stress, experts say. A bill proposed in the Senate is trying to ease that burden by offering caregivers under 18 the same resources as adult caregivers. Many organizations also exist to provide support for these children. For example, Rocco has connected with Kesem, which sponsors summer camps for kids of cancer patients. And Jacob leans on a mentor he met through the American Association of Caregiving Youth. Below are some resources for youth caregivers, recommended by the National Alliance on Caregiving: American Association of Caregiving YouthKesem, support for children whose parents have cancerLorenzo’s House — support for children whose parents have early-onset dementiaNational Alliance for Caregiving
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