MILLIONS OF MILITARY KIDS ARE CAREGIVERS, OFTEN OVERLOOKED

The military community understands that part of service means the risk of harm, and when these injuries or ailments affect warfighters, it’s often families stepping up to the plate to lend a helping hand. While milspouses receive help and support, although more can still be done, children who are cast into these roles are often overworked and overlooked. Millions of military kids are caregivers for their families, and now, there’s a push for better resources and recognition.

Over 2 Million Military Kids Are Caregivers

Give or take, around 2.3 million kids are caregivers in the U.S. for families tied to the military.

It’s a stressful role that pushes children to sacrifice even more than they already do because of a military lifestyle demanding PCSing, deployments, anxiety, and much more.

Although many groups advocate for military kids, there’s still a lot more that can be done for those serving as caregivers.

This should be unsurprising as many adults also fail to realize just how much they do. Utilizing tools like the Activities of Daily Living survey can help families identify caregiving duties and better understand which tasks they take on.

A Negative Impact on Children

Many children of military Veterans who take on caregiving roles face challenges like isolation, stress, and anxiety, often sacrificing opportunities to socialize, focus on school, or engage in extracurriculars.

Unfortunately, taking care of their parent or guardian who is suffering from physical ailments or mental health issues can rob them of the chance to simply “be like other kids.”

The White House recently highlighted the struggles of military caregiving children in its “Strengthening America’s Military Families” report, showcasing just how much kids deal with.

Multiple groups and politicians over the years have advocated on behalf of children, launching initiatives such as the Hidden Helpers Coalition.

The coalition helps bridge the gap by addressing the unique needs of these children by gathering insights into their challenges and creating solutions to better support them.

Kids Overlooked While Facing Harsh Challenges

Efforts are being made to recognize and assist these often-overlooked youth, but there’s still quite a ways to go. This includes the fact that the VA has two caregiver support programs, yet neither offers resources for children.

Kids grow up taking on caregiving roles, helping parents with everything from medical needs to daily tasks and being forced to overcome emergency situations, all in an effort to keep their loved ones healthy.

Still, as noble as these tasks may be, military child caregivers often feel like they’re not only overlooked but live isolated lives and are forced to grow up too soon because of the lack of support.

Accounts from the children of Veterans who provide caregiving services continue to express the need for counseling and the opportunity to connect with other kids who understand the struggle firsthand.

Even for kids who are not taking care of their parents, such as someone caring for a sibling or guardian injured in combat, the same issues can arise.

This includes finding a balance in their newfound responsibilities, navigating childhood, and attending to their studies.

As the government continues to potentially cut resources, many families are concerned about caregiver support programs falling by the wayside, which is why supporting new legislation to help the community is more attractive than ever to supporters.

The Helping Heroes Act Aims to Help Military Children Caregivers

Even though the VA's caregiver support programs don't include children or have plans to change this issue, there is hope on the horizon.

Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and John Boozman (R-AR) reintroduced the Helping Heroes Act, aiming to support military caregiving families, including kids.

“Our country has a serious obligation to support all of our Veteran families, and that means making sure those who’ve stepped up as caregivers for their family—including our kids—aren’t shouldering that responsibility alone. I’m reintroducing this bipartisan legislation to make sure VA delivers much-needed care and support for our disabled Veterans and their youngest caregivers,” said Senator Murray.

Furthermore, if successful, the Helping Heroes Act will help everyone better understand all the factors at play here, as the VA would now be required to collect information about the experiences these families face.

As it stands, having data on such subjects from a long-term perspective doesn’t exist, and this law would help document events to build up a database.

“This legislation is an investment in the families of our Veterans. Expanding the VA’s resources to better support the education, health, and other needs of young caregivers is a critical part of our commitment to those who have served and sacrificed for our country and their loved ones,” said Senator Boozman.

Despite bipartisan support, whether or not the bill is going to become a law and create a lasting impact remains to be seen.

Military caregiver kids deserve more support, better resources, and the recognition they deserve for the responsibilities they take on for the betterment of their loved ones and our nation.