Amplifying the Power of Family Caregiver Voices: A National Call to Action
Grantee: Community Catalyst, Inc.
Partners: LeadingAge LTSS Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston
Strategy Goal 1: Increase awareness of and outreach to family caregivers
Project period: Sept. 30, 2023-Sept. 29, 2027
This initiative aims to advance policy and practice changes that increase awareness of family caregiving issues and strengthen the engagement of family caregivers in decision-making processes. It focuses on building caregivers’ leadership and equipping them with skills needed to advocate effectively within their communities. Key activities include providing caregiver education and training on community-level advocacy, as well as offering coaching and technical assistance to state-based family caregiving coalitions.
The project is producing a training curriculum for family caregivers and developing communications assets that promote caregiver recognition, support, and inclusion. The grantee is also preparing a comprehensive evaluation report. Through an extensive assessment of 10 states, capacity-building trainings, formal presentations, and support from a project steering committee, the initiative strengthens connections with selected coalitions, improves community engagement, and broadens opportunities for knowledge-sharing among key stakeholders.
Through these efforts, the project amplifies the voices of family caregivers, increases coalition capacity, drives pivotal policy changes, shares best practices, and raises national awareness of family caregivers’ vital role in society.
To learn more about this project, please see Community Catalyst's webpage.
Resources
Empowering Caregivers & Improving Lives State Profile Series
Each profile in this series spotlights organizations’ comprehensive approaches to caregiver support, highlighting key services, innovative approaches, and strategic partnerships. Designed as a collaboration resource for aging service networks, the state profiles provide valuable insights and examples of how organizations are increasing caregiving awareness, reducing caregiver stress, and improving resource accessibility.