Press Alert | June 17, 2025 | Madeleine Buchner OAM, Founder of Little Dreamers and current Churchill Fellow, has published a compelling reflection following her recent U.S. study tour focused on Caregiving Youth. In her blog post, “Caring Without a Roadmap,” Buchner explores the contrasting approaches to supporting young people who care for family members in Australia and the United States.

While Australia has built formal national recognition for Young Carers into legislation and services, Buchner found that the U.S. lacks a unified framework. Yet she also observed extraordinary grassroots efforts in communities across the country. Programs like those led by the American Association of Caregiving Youth and early policy work in states like Rhode Island are helping to fill the gap through school-based support, research, and advocacy.

Buchner highlights the 5.4 million children under 18 who are caregiving in the United States, many of whom remain unrecognized by school systems, health providers, and social policy. Despite this, she notes that progress is taking shape through community-based models and a growing research and advocacy network.

Rather than choose between top-down policy or local innovation, Buchner calls for combining both. She writes that best practice may lie in weaving together inclusive policy, co-produced research, and flexible programming that meets youth where they are.

“The burden of care should never cost a child their future.” — American Association of Caregiving Youth, 2023

Read the full reflection: https://www.littledreamers.org.au/caring-without-a-roadmap/