MYHOPES

Non-profit Organization

According to a 2005 REPORT by the National Alliance for Caregiving, there are at least 1.3 million caregiving youth between the ages of 8 and 18 in the United States.

Youth with parents who are chronically and terminally ill have higher chances of experiencing anxiety, depression, anger and behavior problems.

• Many of these children are members of minority groups and are from single-parent, low income families.
• A third (30 percent) of child caregivers help with medications and 17 percent help the care recipient communicate with doctors or nurses.
• About half (49 percent) of the caregivers report that they spend “a lot of time” caregiving.
• According to parents’ reports of their child’s behavior, child caregivers tend to exhibit more anxious or depressive behavior than noncaregivers.
• Participation in school activities, school performance, and achievement is also affected.
• Children who are caregivers are more likely to have trouble getting along with teachers, to bully or act mean toward others and to associate with kids who get into trouble.