About the Observance
Celebrated every November, National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM) is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. It offers an opportunity to raise awareness of caregiving issues, educate communities, and increase support for caregivers.
The national observance is led by Caregiver Action Network (CAN), a nonprofit that provides free education, peer support, and resources to family caregivers. CAN selected the 2023 theme, #CaregiversConnect, to highlight the importance of connections—as a way to get information about a loved one’s condition, to share experiences and get support, and to form meaningful bonds with those in our networks.
- Read President Biden's NFCM proclamation.
- Read Supporting Family Caregivers: A Key Issue for ACL and for Our Time on ACL's blog.
- Listen to HHS Secretary Becerra's personal story about being a caregiver.
ACL Efforts to Support Family Caregivers
Families are the primary source of support for older adults and people with disabilities in the U.S. Many family caregivers work and provide care, experiencing conflicts between competing responsibilities. Research indicates caregiving takes a significant emotional, physical, and financial toll. ACL is a proud observer of NFCM, but we work year-round through programs and councils to support and empower family caregivers.
Go to the National Strategy | Strategy Promo Materials
The 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers was created to support family caregivers of all ages, from youth to grandparents, and regardless of where they live or what caregiving looks like for them and their loved ones. The strategy was developed jointly by the advisory councils created by the RAISE Family Caregiving Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act, with extensive input from the public, including family caregivers and the people they support. It will continue to evolve with the caregiving landscape. Learn more about the advisory councils.
Hashtags
- #NFCMonth (Annual observance hashtag)
- #NationalFamilyCaregivingMonth (Annual observance hashtag, long form)
- #CaregiversConnect (CAN's official tag for 2023)
- #NationalCaregivingStrategy (Tag for the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers)
- #RAISEcaregiving (Official tag for RAISE activities)
- #FamilyCaregiver (A larger conversation on family caregiving)
Family Caregiving in the News
The articles and video below include ACL interviews, discuss our work to advance supports for the nation’s family caregivers, or provide important insights into the challenges faced by the caregiving infrastructure.
- Caregiver Nation: A Pivotal Moment for Family Caregiving in the U.S., a blog by Jason Resendez, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving.
- Family Caregivers: The Invisible Army is Gaining Notice, an article by AARP’s Nancy A. LeaMond.
- Dying Broke, a new jointly reported series on America’s long-term care crisis from KFF Health News and the New York Times.
- ‘Hidden Population’: Aging Canada Needs Caregivers Who Need Support from Canadian Affairs mentions the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.
- November is National Family Caregivers Month: Who is caring for the caregivers? features ACL grantees discussing the importance of caregiver support.
- In an online interview with Frontlines TV, Alison Barkoff describes how ACL is working to ensure the needs of disabled people, older adults, and family caregivers are reflected in federal policies.