United Kingdom/United States Dr. Feylyn Lewis, Careum, Zurich, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

United Kingdom/United States

• Dr. Feylyn Lewis, Careum, Zurich, November 12th 2019

In the 2019-20 Times Higher World University Rankings, Sussex was ranked 19th in the UK and 146th in the world. It currently has over 14,000 students and 2,100 staff from all over the world. It has had 3 Nobel Prize winners.

The University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom

The University of Sussex (http://www.sussex.ac.uk) is a higher education institution established in August 1961 for the advancement of learning and knowledge by teaching and research.

• Dr. Feylyn Lewis

Research Fellow, University of Sussex Advisory Board member Caregiving in the US 2020, National Alliance for Caregiving

• 1. Recognition and Specific Support for Young Carers

United States of America: An Emerging Country

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• There is a lack of widespread recognition of young carers in the USA
• Currently a greater focus on Millennial caregivers (born between 1981-

1996), Sandwich Generation caregivers, and Kinship caregivers

• There is one major NGO for young carers: The American Association
• f Caregiving Youth (AACY).
• Facebook groups for young caregivers are gaining traction

Quelle, 12pt

1.3 million to 1.4 million YCs + No official young carer policy + 1 major support organization

215,000-800,000 YCs Policy + Over 300 support organizations

Why is the USA so different from the UK?

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UN Convention of the Rights of the Child Acceptance of welfare state Commitment from national non-profit organizations THE MEDIA! Size & Federal system

• 2. Definition of Young Carers

A Language Deficit

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• There is no accepted definition or terminology of young carers in the

USA.

• Caregiving youth has been encouraged by AACY to highlight that

young carers are indeed children, not yet of legal age.

• Young caregivers is also a term used by researchers and the media

Caregiving youth; young caregivers Young carers; children as next of kin Young caregivers Young carers; special siblings

• 3. Current policy and services in the USA

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• There are no specific policies or services for young carers on either a state or a

federal level.

• State legislation on child protection or neglect may be relevant in a small

minority of cases

• State social services would generally only be involved if there were reports of

parental neglect, or severe impacts to a child’s welfare, e.g., food insecurity or homelessness

• Formal support is given on an individual & local basis, e.g., a YC may see a

school counsellor but only if identified and available to access

• Support groups by disease organisations or hospitals remain focused on adults.
• The care recipient may have a variety of governmental sponsored support

available, such as Social Security Disability Benefits—but only if eligible

• 4. Specific legislation for YC

Child Labor & Child Welfare Laws

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• Whilst «care as labor» remains a contested subject, US federal child

labor laws may help form arguments for more specific legal protection

• The Fair Labor Standard’s Act’s minimum age requirements do not apply to minors

employed by their parents. A clear signal that legal rights weigh heavily in favor of parents!

• Impact of opioid crisis: 36% of children entering foster care in 2017

due to parental substance abuse

• Family First Prevention Services Act (2018) dedicates significant

federal funding to states for increased mental health and substance abuses services to decrease entry to foster care system

• Aim: To allow for more children to stay with parents or kinship carers

• National research involving young carers is
• ver 15 years old; updated national

statistics are needed

• Increased prioritization on media/press
• pportunities by AACY; see Vice News

2017 feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puwI1t ROvkQ

• Public interest blogging and articles in

Huffington Post

• Increased collaboration between invested

researchers: see Bookend Caregiving Project by Professor Elizabeth Olsen: http://bookendcaregivers.web.unc.edu

• Involvement of National Alliance for

Caregiving in Caregiving in the US 2020 national research study & questions on young carers

• 5. Key factors for promoting policy & practice for YC

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Young Carers Classification The USA: An Emerging Country

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2019 2016 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Concluding Reflections:

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• A watershed moment needed in the USA!
• Opioid crisis could provide this attention onto

young carers

• More closer scrutiny needed onto kinship care

relationships for the presence of young caring

• Potential to harness the power of social media
• Role of traditional media/press
• Need for national research studies to inform policy

creation

• Dr. Feylyn Lewis

University of Sussex School of Education and Social Work Essex House 121 University of Sussex Falmer Brighton, BN1 9QQ United Kingdom

Email: F.M.Lewis@sussex.ac.uk Twitter: @DrFeylynLewis

Contact Details

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