Whereas the term caregiving youth refers to children and adolescents under 18 years of age who serve as a primary or secondary caregiver for family or household members who are aging, and have a chronic illness, disability, frailty, or other health condition for which they require assistance on a regular basis, including military families and veterans;

Whereas there are an estimated more than 6,000,000 caregiving youth nationwide;

Whereas there has not been a comprehensive census calculating this population since 2005, leaving the actual number of youth in this population today unknown due to limited data collection, lack of formal recognition, and the hesitance of many families to share information on caregiving youth;

Whereas the need for new national research is urgent in order to identify and support this underserved population;

Whereas caregiving youth are distinct because they care specifically for a loved one who has 1 or more medical conditions or functional decline requiring care and support to undertake everyday activities;

Whereas caregiving duties range from assisting with personal care, such as dressing, bathing, eating, toileting, or assisting with mobility, to managing medical equipment, administering medications, caring for a wound, preparing meals, translating language in medical settings, and more, all of which would typically be the responsibility of an adult;

Whereas many caregiving youth also provide significant ongoing emotional support, particularly when a family member is struggling with a terminal or chronic illness;

Whereas caregiving youth face challenges balancing their caregiving responsibilities with their education, mental health, and overall well-being because of the inherent challenges, demands, and stressors of providing care for an ill or disabled family member, therefore putting this population at greater risk of experiencing anxiety and depression, school dropout, and reduced educational options during transitions to adulthood;

Whereas caregiving youth often do not have access to the resources and services available to adult family caregivers;

Whereas families of color and low-income families are disproportionately likely to rely on caregiving youth;

Whereas the number of caregiving youth is increasing due to an aging population, more multigeneration households, the opioid epidemic, lack of home care insurance and services, advances in technology that allow for complex care at home, including for veterans, more single-parent and grandparent-led households, and more households in which both parents work; and

Whereas, when caregiving youth receive recognition and support, many of the challenges they experience can be mitigated, resulting in academic and personal success: Now, therefore, be it