This week, the president signed the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (S.1028/H.R. 3759). This legislation, which AAP has actively pushed for over the past few years, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop, maintain, and update a strategy to recognize and support family caregivers. The law also establishes a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise HHS on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. Family caregivers are of critical importance to children, especially the millions of children with special health care needs. Caregivers face financial, physical and emotional struggles as they provide much needed support for children such as transportation, medical care, feeding, care coordination and other activities.
This law takes important steps to engage the federal government and relevant stakeholders to start addressing the issues facing family caregivers. AAP has worked closely with coalition partners, in particular AARP, to advance this important legislation. |
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