Governing - 5.4 million U.S. children provide care to an adult in their home. As state officials eye federal Medicaid funding cuts that could drastically reduce home care services for those who are disabled or have chronic health conditions, many predict that number will rise.
That’s bad news for kids: Studies show that when young people take on care for adults with medical conditions, their health and academic outcomes decline. At the same time, their loved ones receive untrained care...
A report published in May by the U.S. Government Accountability Office reminded states that National Family Caregiver Support Program grants can be used to assist caregivers under 18. However, the future of those grants remains unclear: They are funded through the Older Americans Act, which is awaiting reauthorization; and the Administration for Community Living, which oversees the grants, was nearly halved in April as part of the reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump.
Additionally, if Congress approves proposed cuts to Medicaid, one of the first casualties likely will be states’ home- and community-based service programs that provide critical financial relief to family caregivers, said Andrew Olenski, an economist at Lehigh University specializing in long-term health care.
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