2027 National Torch of Care Awards™
“You shouldn't have to be invisible to be strong.
And you shouldn't have to carry everything alone.”
The National Torch of Care AwardsThe National Torch of Care Awards
The Fourth Annual National Military-Connected Teen Caregivers Recognition & Awards Brunch
The National Torch of Care AwardsThe National Torch of Care Awards
“When Duty Calls Their Family, Care Calls Them.”
THE NATIONAL TORCH OF CARE AWARDS™
Fourth Annual National Military-Connected Teen Caregivers Recognition & Awards Brunch
Four Years of Recognition. A New Era of National Honor.
Saturday, April 17, 2027 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
The Prestigious Army Navy Country Club
1700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22202 (USA)
Honoring Those Who Care While Others Serve.
A National Call to Recognize America's Military-Connected Teen Caregivers
Schools & Organizations: Join the National Call
Become a Recognition Partner
SOME OF AMERICA'S YOUNGEST CAREGIVERS ARE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
They sit in classrooms.
-
They walk the halls of our schools.
-
They play sports, make music, dream about college, laugh with friends, and imagine their futures.
But when they return home, some step into responsibilities few of their classmates ever see.
-
They help care for a wounded veteran.
-
They support a parent facing illness or recovery.
-
They look after younger brothers and sisters while a parent is deployed.
-
They assist grandparents, manage household routines, and offer emotional support when their families need it most.
-
Some have grown up hearing the words, "Thank you for your service."
-
But who thanks the young person helping hold the family together?
WE DO.
And in 2027, The Home of the Military Child, we are calling on America to join us.
TO EVERY TEEN WHO HAS EVER SAID, "I'M JUST HELPING MY FAMILY."
We see you.
-
Maybe you've missed time with friends because someone needed you at home.
-
Maybe you've helped a younger sibling understand why Mom or Dad couldn't be there.
-
Maybe you've worried about a loved one while trying to finish homework, prepare for a test, or simply enjoy being young.
-
Maybe you've never told anyone how much you do.
-
You don't need a uniform to demonstrate service.
-
You don't need a title to show leadership.
-
And you don't need to prove how much you've sacrificed to deserve support.
Your care matters. Your voice matters. Your future matters.
This is your invitation to be recognized, not for how much you can endure, but for the compassion, responsibility, and love you bring to your family.
​
And remember: you deserve care, too.
FOUR YEARS. ONE ENDURING COMMITMENT.
From Recognition to a National Tradition
​
-
2024 — The Ritz-Carlton
The inaugural Teen Caregivers Recognition Breakfast established a tradition of honoring young caregivers. -
2025 — Army Navy Country Club
The recognition continued, strengthening a community committed to seeing and celebrating young caregivers. -
2026 — Army Navy Country Club
The third annual gathering marked the official ceremonial launch of Turn Care Into Credit™ (TCCSH), advancing a structured pathway for documenting and recognizing caregiving contributions. -
2027 — Army Navy Country Club
The fourth annual gathering enters a new chapter as the National Military-Connected Teen Caregivers Recognition & Awards Brunch.
Four Years of Recognition. A New Era of National Honor.
THE NATIONAL TORCH OF CARE AWARDS™
A National Celebration of Care, Courage, and Contribution
On April 17, 2027, the Military Child World Expo Foundation | National Association for Military Connected Children will bring together military-connected teen caregivers, families, educators, military and veteran community representatives, youth organizations, and national partners for an extraordinary afternoon of recognition.
​
The event will celebrate the often-unseen contributions of military-connected young people who help care for parents, siblings, grandparents, and other loved ones.
​
The ceremony will feature the Torch of Care recognition tradition, youth voices, family tributes, meaningful connections, and a national commitment to ensuring young caregivers are seen, heard, and supported.
​
Special invited civilian teen caregivers will also be welcomed and recognized, reflecting the shared experiences of young people who provide care across America's communities.
​
This is more than an awards ceremony.
It is a reminder that no young person should have to choose between supporting someone they love and having the opportunity to enjoy their own childhood.
​
EVERY CAREGIVER DESERVES A SEAT AT THE TABLE. ™
Learn About the Awards
Nominate a Young Caregiver
AMERICA, HELP US FIND THEM.
A National Call for Teen Caregiver Recognition
We are calling on schools, military-connected communities, veteran service organizations, healthcare professionals, youth-serving organizations, faith and community groups, and families across the United States to help identify and recognize young caregivers.
Some teenagers will never nominate themselves.
They may not even realize that what they do has a name.
They simply say, "My family needs me."
​
We invite you to help ensure that their contributions are acknowledged with dignity, compassion, and respect.
​
Who Can Be Nominated?
Military-connected teenagers who provide meaningful, recurring care or support to a family member, including young people from:
-
Active-duty military families
-
National Guard and Reserve families
-
Veteran households
-
Gold Star and surviving military families
-
Other eligible military-connected households
Invited civilian teen caregivers may be considered for special guest recognition.
Nominations should reflect meaningful caregiving contributions, not ordinary age-appropriate household chores. Young people should never be encouraged to take on additional caregiving responsibilities to qualify.
​
A nomination is an opportunity for recognition, not a guarantee of an award or invitation.
​
Submit a Nomination
Request Nomination Guidelines
SCHOOLS:
YOU MAY KNOW A STUDENT WHO IS QUIETLY CARING FOR SOMEONE AT HOME.
​
Your School Can Help Make Invisible Service Visible.
We invite public schools, private schools, DoDEA schools, Purple Star Schools, school districts, colleges, universities, and youth development programs to participate in the national recognition initiative.
Schools can:
-
Share the recognition opportunity with students and families.
-
Identify appropriate referral pathways for students who may be young caregivers.
-
Submit nominations with student and parent or guardian consent.
-
Explore recognition of verified caregiving hours through TCCSH.
-
Participate in national youth recognition and awareness activities.
-
Connect students with supportive school and community resources.
TCCSH documentation may help schools evaluate caregiving contributions for service-learning or community service credit, subject to school or district approval.
​
Recognition should open doors for students, not create additional burdens.
Schools & Educators: Participate
Explore TCCSH
TURN CARE INTO CREDIT™ (TCCSH)
Because Care Is Service. And Service Deserves Recognition.
​
Launched ceremonially in 2026, Turn Care Into Credit™ is MCWEF's national framework for documenting and recognizing eligible unpaid caregiving contributions by teenagers.
​
Through TCCSH, participating teens may have qualifying caregiving hours documented and verified, creating records that schools and youth programs may consider for community service recognition, leadership portfolios, and other opportunities.
​
TCCSH is open to military-connected and civilian teen caregivers.
Participation is voluntary, privacy-conscious, and designed to recognize young people without exposing sensitive family circumstances.
​
-
No cost to participate in TCCSH.
-
No requirement to share a personal family hardship publicly.
-
No automatic guarantee of school credit, scholarships, or awards.
TO ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS AMERICA:
PULL UP A CHAIR.
The National Torch of Care Awards invites organizations across sectors to join a shared commitment to young caregivers.
​
Military and veteran service organizations can help reach families and identify young people whose contributions deserve recognition.
​
Schools and universities can support nominations, recognition pathways, and educational opportunity.
​
Healthcare and behavioral health organizations can help families understand available caregiver resources and age-appropriate support.
Corporations, foundations, and philanthropic partners can support event access, recognition programming, youth travel, outreach, and long-term TCCSH development.
​
Youth organizations and community groups can help ensure young caregivers have opportunities for connection, recreation, belonging, and leadership.
​
Our national invitation is not to ask teenagers to do more. It is to ask institutions to recognize more and support them better.
​
Become a National Recognition Partner
Nominate Through Your Organization
Explore Sponsorship Opportunities
THEIR VOICES. THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEIR FUTURES.
THEIR VOICES. THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEIR FUTURES.
THEIR VOICES. THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEIR FUTURES.
A Youth-Centered National Conversation
Today's teenagers are growing up in a world of uncertainty, constant information, changing expectations, and difficult conversations about the future.
​
For military-connected teenagers, those experiences may be accompanied by deployment, relocation, separation, recovery from service-related injuries, and responsibilities at home.
​
We believe young people deserve to be heard in their own words.
The National Torch of Care Awards will create opportunities for youth to share what recognition, belonging, support, and opportunity mean to them.
No teen will be required to publicly disclose private medical information, family trauma, or personal hardship.
​
Their stories belong to them.
We are not here to speak over young caregivers. We are here to make room for their voices.
A NATIONAL MOMENT. A LIFELONG MESSAGE.
THEIR VOICES. THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEIR FUTURES.
THEIR VOICES. THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEIR FUTURES.
On April 17, 2027, we will gather at the Army Navy Country Club to recognize extraordinary young people.
​
But the work does not end when the brunch concludes.
​
Our commitment is to expand awareness, strengthen recognition pathways, connect schools and organizations, and encourage communities across America to acknowledge young caregivers throughout the year.
​
Because recognition should not happen only once.
And no young caregiver should feel invisible.
​
WHEN DUTY CALLS THEIR FAMILY, CARE CALLS THEM.
AMERICA, IT'S TIME TO RECOGNIZE THEM.
​
Join the National Recognition Initiative
Become a Sponsor or Partner
OUR SPONSORS & SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
THEIR VOICES. THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEIR FUTURES.
THEIR VOICES. THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEIR FUTURES.
Recognizing the Partners Who Help Us Honor Young Caregivers
​
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association | Federal Employee Program
A foundational partner and valued supporter of the Teen Caregivers Recognition tradition and military-connected family wellbeing.
Organization Partner Since 2024
​
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City
Supporting Military Families Across all markets.
Organizational Partner Since 2024
​
Supporting the identity, belonging, connection, and community of military brats and military-connected families. Since 2026
​
Brat Corps Worldwide Travel, LLC
Supporting the broader mission of military-connected community access, travel, and connection. 2027
​
Military Children's Six Foundation
A foundational partner in recognizing, celebrating, and supporting military-connected children and their families. Since 2019
​
HOSTED BY
Military Child World Expo Foundation
The National Association for Military-Connected Children
The National Torch of Care Awards™
Fourth Annual National Military-Connected Teen Caregivers Recognition & Awards Brunch
April 17, 2027 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Army Navy Country Club
1700 Army Navy Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22202
Every Caregiver Deserves a Seat at the Table. ™
[Nominate] [Participate] [Partner] [Contact MCWEF]
A GROWING NATIONAL CONVERSATION
A GROWING NATIONAL CONVERSATION
America's Young Caregivers Deserve Recognition, and Support.
​
Across the nation, greater attention is being directed toward children and young adults who provide unpaid care for family members.
​
In June 2026, legislation titled the National Task Force on Caregiving Youth of Veterans Act (H.R. 9475) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The proposal calls for national research, interagency coordination, and recommendations addressing the needs of young people caring for veterans and members of the Armed Forces.
​
A separate congressional resolution introduced in November 2025 called for national awareness and recognition of caregiving youth.
​
These developments underscore an important national conversation: young caregivers deserve greater visibility, stronger support, and meaningful opportunities.
​
For the Military Child World Expo Foundation, that commitment is already reflected in our annual recognition tradition and Turn Care Into Credit™ initiative.
​
Our message is not political. It is personal.
​
Regardless of where Americans stand on the issues of the day, young people caring for their families deserve to be recognized, supported, and heard.
​
Their care is real. Their contributions matter. Their futures deserve our attention.
​
MCWEF is an independent, nonpartisan organization. References to proposed federal legislation are provided for public awareness and do not imply congressional endorsement of MCWEF, its awards, or its programs.
“AMERICA, HELP US RECOGNIZE THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CARE.”
“When Duty Calls Their Family, Care Calls Them.”
