Helping the helpers: Strategies to Build Supportive Program for Student Caregivers

There are an estimated five million students in the United States who are providing unpaid, care, support, and assistance to ill or disabled family members, friends, romantic partners, and other individuals close to them. These student caregivers, often called “youth caregivers” in scholarly literature, balance caregiving responsibilities with their academic pursuits, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. The AARP (2020) found that seven in ten student caregivers report that caregiving has affected their academic performance to some extent, and nearly a third reported that they are very concerned over their ability to stay in school while caregiving. Student caregivers can be found at every institution across the U.S., though research with this population suggests a higher preponderance at community colleges and trade schools (Lewis, 2018). The widespread nature of youth caregiving coupled with the impacts onto their mental and physical health and academic performance necessitates thoughtful consideration and action on the part of student affairs professionals. This session will provide an introduction to the presenter’s own international (U.S., United Kingdom, and Europe) research with student caregivers. The session will feature the innovative work taken by the presenter and colleagues at Vanderbilt University, a R1 university in Nashville, TN, to advance supportive caregiver programs and policy creation. Student affairs professionals will receive a “lessons learned” examination of the highs and lows of programmatic generation, including barriers to success. Attendees will be armed with a holistic profile of student caregiving and best practice recommendations to take back to their respective institutions.