Caregiving with children and adolescents

The VA Caregiver Support Program (CSP) wants to help Veterans’ caregivers. VA understands that it’s difficult to balance caregiving duties, facilitating understanding among youth through loaded conversations and managing personal mental health.

“Caring for both a Veteran and a child can be very challenging,” said CSP Executive Director Dr. Colleen Richardson. “Amid their many responsibilities, they must also prioritize self-care and themselves.”

Caring for Veterans and youth

VA recognizes the complexity of caring for Veterans, especially when factoring in the needs of Hidden Helpers, (the children, youth, and young adults [up to age 18] who are actively involved in hands-on care or are currently impacted by the care needs of a wounded, ill or injured service member or Veteran) which can present unique challenges.

From providing tips on communicating Veteran-related transitions to youth to offering free and confidential support, VA and organizations such as the Rosalynn Carter Institute (RCI) are here to help.

From a recent study conducted by RCI and Sesame Street about their collaborative for families of those who have served our nation:

• 87% of eligible caregivers were interested in receiving Sesame Street resources.
• 74% reported they learned more strategies for helping child cope.
• 70% reported they were better able to talk with child about their feelings.
• 57% reported they were better able to explain the caregiving situation to their child.
• 65% reported they were better able to let their child help with caregiving in age-appropriate ways.

Caregivers are encouraged to review CSP’s caregiver sheet for tips and resources. For immediate support, caregivers can text TOUGH to 741741 at no cost to access help from the Veterans Caregivers’ Crisis Text Counseling Line, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

CSP empowers caregivers to address their personal needs and desires by practicing self-care and using tools to healthily cope with challenges. VA’s comprehensive self-care tools and Whole Health Library offer guidance on building self-care habits while continuing to provide high-quality care to Veterans and youth.

About the Caregiver Support Program (CSP)

CSP promotes the health and well-being of Veterans’ caregivers through education, resources, support and services. Every VA facility has a CSP team that provides valuable information about resources to help caregivers stay informed and supported as they support Veterans. More information can be found on CSP’s website and by contacting local CSP teams.