Growing Numbers of Caregiving Youth Seeking Scholarships

BOCA RATON, Fla. - March 18, 2014 - PRLog -- It is no secret that Palm Beach County has been the first region in the US to support caregiving youth – children who sacrifice their education, health, well-being and childhood to provide care for a family member who is ill, injured, elderly or disabled.

In 2007, the first Caregiving Youth Scholarship, awarded by what is now the American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) in partnership with the George Snow Scholarship Fund had four applicants.  This year there is a greater than 1000% increase in the number of applicants who identified themselves as caregivers or whose caregiving role was evident from the special circumstances they wrote about in their scholarship applications.

The increase in caregiving youth was so significant that Pam Perrin, Vice President of Scholar Services of the Fund called Connie Siskowski, RN, PhD, President and Founder of AACY to discuss the number of deserving candidates and the possibility of awarding more scholarships.  Each year AACY raises funds to partner with George Snow so that at least one student could receive support during college.

According to Scholarship Fund President Tim Snow, “We will do our best to provide some help for these deserving students; however, it is obvious that additional scholarships are needed.”  He joins with Siskowski and members of the AACY Board to request that donations be made to AACY so that more scholarships could be awarded to give caregiving youth, who are in circumstances through no fault of their own, a chance.

Joe Kraus, Acting Chairman of the AACY Board states, “It takes strength and courage for caregiving youth to share their stories of the challenges they have faced.  Please join with us to honor and value their role through the provision of a scholarship as a gateway for their futures.”

For more information about AACY, visit www.aacy.org where donations can be made online or contact Dr. Siskowski at 561.391.7401.   For more information about the George Snow Scholarship Fund visit www.scholarship.org or call Pam Perrin at 561.347.6799.