À propos

Who We Are

Our work began in 2003 when the Young Carers Initiative Niagara was created as a special project of the Alzheimer Society of Niagara in response to the children and youth they identified as participating in the caregiving of a loved one with dementia. It became clear that these children were struggling with stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression. Building on the principle that caregiving is a family event, action was taken. Through a collaboration of YOUNG CAREGIVERS, community partners, research, and funders, awareness and educational materials were developed along with programs designed specifically for YOUNG CAREGIVERS.

In 2006, public awareness efforts included the first conference about YOUNG CAREGIVERS ever to be held in Canada. The “Bouncing Back” conference in Niagara Falls attracted 100 participants from across Canada, as well as Florida, Texas and the U.K.

In 2007 the Young Carers Initiative became a registered charity and with the results from Dr. Chalmers’ study and with the support of Alzheimer’s Society of Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk, Hamilton, Halton, a year later the Young Carers Initiative received funding from the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN) to begin delivering the Powerhouse Project programming.

As the first YOUNG CAREGIVER program in Canada and the established Canadian expert organization in supporting YOUNG CAREGIVERS, our organization has evolved over the years. With a dedication to research informed practice and collaboration across Canada, it was decided that it was time for a new identity in order to expand our reach. Our re-branding process began in 2017 with focus groups and a community survey to get input from YOUNG CAREGIVERS, their families, and community partners, including input from Family Caregivers of British Columbia, Caregivers Alberta, and Caregivers Nova Scotia. 

WHAT WE DO

Young Caregivers Association™ is a registered charity with the mission to be the leader in service, awareness, and empowerment for YOUNG CAREGIVERS and their families across Canada.

Our vision is to have a Canada where YOUNG CAREGIVERS and their families are recognized, supported, and empowered to achieve their full potential.

Through our strategic plan, we are focused on achieving our goals under our new brand and purpose. We strive to achieve our mission and goals through leading, supporting and empowering.

Our main focus is providing supportive programs and counselling to YOUNG CAREGIVERS and their families in the Haldimand, Norfolk, and Niagara Regions which we continue to achieve through the Powerhouse program, which was developed more than 15 years ago. Canadian researcher Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos conducted a study on existing YOUNG CAREGIVER programs across Canada and validated our position as the most advanced and sophisticated model for such supports across the country (Stamatopoulos, 2018). Our co-design approach continues to ensure young caregivers have a voice in all we do.

As a result of adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic, we took our programs online to offer support groups, life skills, and counselling through video conferencing.