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Teen Caregivers
Your care is leadership.
Some young people live with responsibilities that are rarely acknowledged:
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Supporting siblings during deployments
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Translating culture or emotion in the home
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Caring for a parent healing from injury, trauma, or illness
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Holding stability while the world moves and shifts
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Being the grounding presence when others need strength
If you have ever felt like you grew up faster, carried more, or held things together quietly.
This page is for you. This movement is for you. This recognition is for you.
Care is not invisible. Care is love in motion. Care is leadership.
Why Teen Caregivers Are Central to MCWE 2026
In most conversations about the military child, the emotional and practical labor of youth caregivers is overlooked, even though it shapes identity, maturity, empathy, and resilience.
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We see you.
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We honor you.
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We recognize you.
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No more silence.
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No more invisibility.
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No more “being strong without being supported.”
Turn Credit Into Credit
Care Counts.
Through the TCCSH initiative, your caregiving can be recognized as:
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Community service hours
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Youth leadership credit
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Portfolio / résumé / college readiness evidence
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Service-learning contribution
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Character and leadership accreditation
This program provides:
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Care acknowledgment language
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Documentation
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School & counselor verification guides
Turn Credit Into Credit
Care Counts.
Through the TCCSH initiative, your caregiving can be recognized as:
-
Community service hours
-
Youth leadership credit
-
Portfolio / résumé / college readiness evidence
-
Service-learning contribution
-
Character and leadership accreditation
This program provides:
-
Care acknowledgment language
-
Documentation
-
School & counselor verification guides
Your care "is" contribution. Your contribution "is" leadership.
The Torch of Care Medallion
Teen caregivers may be nominated for:
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The Torch of Care Medallion
Awarded at Carrying the Torch of Care - Caregivers Breakfast (April 18, 2026) at Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, Virginia
This honor recognizes:
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Emotional stewardship
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Quiet leadership
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Cultural and family legacy work
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The love that holds a household together
You do not have to tell your whole story.
You do not have to explain what you carry.
You only have to be seen.
The Caregivers Circle
Taking Place Inside Independence Center B "The Pavilion")
A gentle space where teen caregivers can:
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Sit with others who understand without needing explanation
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Rest, reflect, release
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Receive grounding practices and connection
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Feel belonging without performing strength
No sharing is required. Silence is welcomed. Presence is enough.
Expression Through Creativity
Teen caregivers are often storytellers, artists, designers, rhythm holders.
You are invited to participate in:
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Sneaker Dripping™ Design Competition (Identity Through Expression)
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Youth Marketplace (Entrepreneurship + Skill-building)
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Story, Poetry, and Visual Art Reflection Walls
Your voice does not need to be spoken to be heard.
How To Join This Community
[ Join the Teen Caregiver Circle ]
[ Apply for TCCSH Recognition ]
[ Nominate for the Torch of Care Medallion ]
[ Ask About School Caregiver Support Pathways ]
You have held others through seasons of change.
Here, we hold you.
You do not carry the world alone.