b'Children Who Are Caregivers in Palm Beach CountyCanyouimagineasixthgradercominghomefrom school and having to immediately take care of a family member? Not being able to go outside with his or her friendsorstudy,butcominghometobeaprimary caregiver.Morethan1.3millionchildrenintheUnitedStates sacrifice their education, health and emotional growth to assume the role of family caregiver. There are over 10,000student-caregiversinPalmBeachCounty schools. TheCaregivingYouthProject(CYP)identifiesandsupportsthishiddenpopulationof children who sacrifice their education, health, well-being, and childhood to provide care for ill, injured, elderly or disabled family members. During the past 12 years, the CYP has served more than 1,450 youth caregivers and their families. It provides in-school therapeutic support groups, out of school educational and recreational (respite) activities, family evaluation home visits, and most importantly, the opportunity for youth caregivers to learn they are not alone by connecting them with other kids dealing with the same issues. From 2015 to 2018 97.7% ofthe221highschoolseniorsthatCYPworkedwithgraduatedhighschool,versus under 80% of high school seniors with the same ethnic diversity as the caregivers CYP works with.HOThasmademanygrantstoCYPto:(i)purchase computersandmonitorsforkidstocomplete schoolwork,researchmedicalinformation,paybills, and secure employment, (ii) provide blocks of respite time, (iii) buy laptops for the staff to enter data while in the field, (iv) purchase equipment for the CYP office, and(v)setupafundtohandleemergenciesof caregivers and their families. Similar to all of HOTs Emergency Financial Aid Funds, we do not permit this fund to be used unless all other potential sources of funds have been exhausted and we believe the need for aid is a one-time problem. Sadly, it is almost axiomatic that a family that cannot afford non-family caregivers cannot fund financial emergencies. In the last two years, we helped 44 families with problems they might not have ever recovered from.This year CYP is asking for: $6,800 for 17 laptops with Office @ $400 per laptop $9,450 for 35 blocks of six-hours of tutoring @ $270 per six-hour block $10,800 for 150 four-hour blocks of respite care @ $72 per four-hour block 23'