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Publication #FAR6011

 

Child Caregivers: The Impacts of Caregiving1

Suzanna Smith2

Figure 1. 
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Often we think of childhood as carefree and simple, full of spontaneous play and uncluttered by life's responsibilities and worries. Recent research suggests that this may not be the case for over a million U.S. children who are taking care of adults.

What is the impact of caregiving on children? In the first national survey of youth caregivers, researchers from the National Alliance on Caregiving compared child caregivers with children who are not caregivers. Children who are caregivers showed more signs of being anxious or depressed than non-caregivers their age. More than one-third of caregivers ages 8-11 felt at least some of the time that no one loves them and that they are worthless, compared to 18% of non-caregivers. In addition, caregivers were more likely to have trouble getting along with teachers and peers and more likely to get in trouble (National Alliance for Caregiving and United Hospital Fund, 2005).

On the other hand, some results are reassuring. In many ways, caregivers were similar to their peers. Their feelings of having fun are about the same, and they feel that they have good relationships, they can depend on others, and that grown-ups listen to their problems (NAC/UHF, 2005).

Because this is a new area of research, services for children and families are not yet developed. However, researchers suggest that services for children and their families are needed, such as support groups and recreational activities, as well as guidance on what kinds of caregiving are most appropriate for children.

Listening, learning, and living together: it's the science of life. "Family Album" is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and of WUFT-FM. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at http://www.familyalbumradio.org.

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Reference

National Alliance for Caregiving and United Hospital Fund. (2005). Young caregivers in the U.S. Retrieved September 20, 2005, from http://www.caregiving.org/data/youngcaregivers.pdf

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR6011, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 281 and published February 2009. Reviewed March 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Suzanna Smith, associate professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.