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It's not over when it is over! 

This year you may be in 8th grade getting ready to move up to high school, or you may be a senior getting ready to graduate from high school. For you who are 8th graders, even if our in-school program is not yet in the high school you will be entering, you can still be in the CYP and participate in activities and resources! 

For seniors, we look forward to celebrating you at our Graduation Party on June 4th - plus, we are creating a new way to stay connected in your after high school journey. Stay tuned!!

Greetings, CYP Friends!

Big thanks to Safe Kids Worldwide, Safe Kids Palm Beach County, and the Trauma Agency Specialists for teaming up to bring you an awesome fall prevention workshop.

Not only did we get a much-needed break from our daily responsibilities, but we also learned valuable tips to stay safe while helping others. Plus, everyone got fitted for helmets! 

This workshop was a great way for you to connect with other kids who get what each other is going through, all while gaining important skills to look out for yourselves and the people you care about. 

Keep looking out for upcoming activities! If you want to see some pictures of you and your events, visit (and follow!) our Instagram @caregivingyouthproject.

Thank you.

Andreana Holliman, BA

We're here to support you on your caregiving journey. We'll share fun and educational content, inspiring stories from other young caregivers, and reminders that you're not alone. Thank you for all that you do for your family.

Did you see the recent stories about young caregivers like you? This month, WPTV West Palm Beach and the Wall Street Journal featured articles highlighting the experiences of kids in CYP who take care of sick, elderly, or disabled family members.

Jacob Gutierrez, from Palm Beach County, was profiled by WPTV. Jacob helps care for both his mom and grandma! The article talks about the challenges many young caregivers face and the important work we do for our families. Jacob even shared his feelings, saying that sometimes he wishes he could be a "normal kid" again.

The Wall Street Journal article went even further – they reported that millions of kids across the USA are caregivers! Wow, that's a lot of you! This national media article features Leo and other students in the CYP program and talks about how tough it can be to balance caring for someone and being a kid yourself.

These stories are important because they shine a light on the challenges you face every day. But even more importantly, they show how brave you are! By sharing your stories, you're helping others understand what it's like to be a caregiver and advocating for better support for all of us.

Remember, you're not alone in this. The Caregiving Youth Project is here for you, and so are all the other amazing young caregivers out there! Keep being strong, keep being awesome, and keep sharing your stories!

Thank you for sharing your stories Jacob, Leo, Arkeria, Matthew, Mark, Luke and others. You are an inspiration to all of us! Keep doing great things!

"Coming into AACY as a new Family Specialist, I was unsure what to expect; with the schools already having so many expectations placed upon them, I was utterly amazed at how welcoming Bear Lakes Middle School was. First, with respect to working with a new face and always having space for AACY to complete Skills Building groups. But secondly, how willing they are to step forward and be of assistance to help make things move forward smoothly. 

Mrs. Carmen Ocasio is always a smiling face and a beacon of hope for these students; always being so responsive to my questions and requests. She is so supportive of AACY and its mission. If she sees a student who appears to be in need of AACY, she does not hesitate to refer them. She understands the services provided and wants to ensure that the students in need of AACY support are receiving it. 

The staff at Bear Lakes Middle School are an exceptional group of individuals dedicated to the students and their needs. We appreciate you and are grateful for your support.

Tracy Piendle, BSW, DCFI, Family Specialist - North"

Amoy Gordon, the CYP Director at AACY, had an incredible experience across the pond in Manchester, England! She participated in the International Young Carers Conference (#icycc2024), a huge event where experts from all over the world come together to talk about how to support amazing young caregivers like YOU!

It was a blast! Not only did we get to share all the awesome work we're doing here at the Caregiving Youth Project, but we also learned a ton from young carers and experts from 20 different countries. Hearing their stories and ideas was truly inspiring!

Amoy and others who support Caregiving Youth here in the United States gave some awesome presentations. We talked about the history of our programs, the unique challenges faced by young carers in military families, and even how you, as a young caregiver, can be a powerful force for positive change in the world!

We also learned a lot from other countries about how they're supporting young carers. This is going to be super helpful as we work to make our programs here in the US even better!

This conference was a win-win! We got to share our knowledge, learn from others, and, most importantly, connect with a whole global community of young carers just like you. Now, we're even more fired up to keep creating awesome programs and resources to support you on your incredible journey.

Stay tuned for more updates on all the exciting things we're working on!

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.