H.Con.Res. 125: Expressing support for the designation of the week of November 9 through November 15, 2026, as…

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H. Con. Res. 125 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC>

119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 125

Expressing support for the designation of the week of November 9 through November 15, 2026, as ``National Caregiving Youth Week'' to raise awareness and encourage national recognition of children and adolescents under 18 years of age who serve as a primary or secondary caregiver for family or household members.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 29, 2026

Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida (for herself, Ms. Salazar, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the designation of the week of November 9 through November 15, 2026, as ``National Caregiving Youth Week'' to raise awareness and encourage national recognition of children and adolescents under 18 years of age who serve as a primary or secondary caregiver for family or household members.

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 or have a chronic illness, disability, frailty, or other health condition for which they require assistance on a regular basis, including in military and veteran families; Whereas it is estimated there are more than 6,000,000 caregiving youth nationwide; Whereas there has not been a comprehensive national census calculating this population since 2005, leaving the actual number of caregiving youth today unknown because of limited data collection, lack of formal recognition, and the hesitance of many families to share information about 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 one 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 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 34 percent of caregiving youth report that they are helping take care of more than one person in their household, which can increase the time, complexity, and emotional demands of their caregiving responsibilities; Whereas many caregiving youth also provide significant ongoing emotional support, particularly when a family member is living 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, placing this population at greater risk of anxiety, depression, school dropout, and reduced educational options during the transition 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 families with low incomes are disproportionately likely to rely on caregiving youth; Whereas schools are often among the first institutions positioned to identify caregiving youth whose caregiving responsibilities may be affecting attendance, academic performance, mental health, or overall well-being; Whereas educators, school counselors, school nurses, school social workers, school psychologists, behavioral health professionals, administrators, and other school personnel can play an important role in recognizing the responsibilities carried by caregiving youth and, consistent with applicable privacy and consent requirements, connecting them with appropriate school-based or community-based academic and mental health supports; Whereas institutions of higher education and professional training programs have begun incorporating information about caregiving youth into nursing education and related curriculum-development efforts, demonstrating the importance and feasibility of preparing educators, nurses, physicians, including pediatricians, behavioral health professionals, social workers, and other professionals who work with children and families, to identify caregiving youth and connect them with appropriate supports; Whereas the number of caregiving youth is increasing because of an aging population, more multigenerational households, the opioid epidemic, gaps in public and private home care services and insurance coverage, advances in technology that allow complex care to be provided 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 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress-- (1) supports the designation of ``National Caregiving Youth Week''; (2) recognizes caregiving youth in the United States as an underserved and underrecognized population; (3) encourages educators, research institutions, health care professionals, community leaders, policymakers, and others to become more familiar with the work, needs, and contributions of caregiving youth; (4) encourages State educational agencies, school districts, and schools to use age-appropriate practices to identify caregiving youth and connect them with appropriate academic, school-based or community-based mental health, and social supports, consistent with applicable privacy and consent requirements; (5) encourages relevant professional preparation curricula and continuing education for educators, nurses, physicians, including pediatricians, behavioral health professionals, social workers, and other professionals who work with children and families to include information about identifying and supporting caregiving youth; (6) recommends the inclusion of caregiving youth in statewide family caregiver task forces; and (7) supports Federal initiatives to provide up-to-date, nationwide research on caregiving youth. <all>