Lesson 2: Outreach and Awareness

Imagine a colleague from your organization sitting down with the manager of a local social recreation program. You’re preparing to launch a Powerhouse® program and are looking for help identifying young caregivers who could benefit.

The manager is warm, interested, and eager to help, but confidently says: “There are no young caregivers here.”

But is that really true? Are there truly no young caregivers among the families she serves? Or are they attending programs every week, quietly balancing caregiving responsibilities at home, with no one ever having recognized them as young caregivers?

By the end of this lesson, you’ll know how to answer that question. You’ll learn where young caregivers are most likely to be found, which organizations in your community are best positioned to connect you with families, and how to turn conversations like this into meaningful community partnerships.

Lesson 2 Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

  • Explain why young caregivers rarely come forward, and where they are most likely to be found.
  • Identify which organizations in your region may have young caregivers among the families they serve.
  • Recognize what makes a strong partner, and evaluate which agencies can genuinely reach a family.
  • Understand what a partnership agreement needs to cover, from confidentiality to resource allocation.
  • Deliver an effective awareness session that recruits other organizations as active partners or referral sources.

🤔 Reflection Question: What existing partnerships in your community could be leveraged to identify young caregivers?