Young Caregiver Releases Free Guide to Support Millions of Children Facing Adult Responsibilities

Omarion Calloway, who began caring for his grandmother and uncle at age ten, has released a free online guide to support the millions of young caregivers across America who shoulder adult responsibilities in silence. His publication, More Than Survival: A Guideline for Young Caregivers, combines personal experience with practical advice for children facing similar challenges.

Calloway's childhood involved memorizing seizure protocols, bathing family members, and managing medications while his classmates focused on typical childhood activities. I wasn't supposed to know how to bathe my uncle or feed my grandmother at ten years old, Calloway says. But I did, because they needed me. When you love people, you do it—even when you're still a child yourself.

The guide addresses the invisible crisis affecting over 5.4 million children in the United States who serve as caregivers, with disproportionate representation among Black and Brown youth. Calloway explains that these children often go unrecognized by educators and peers: Teachers call you distracted. Friends think you don't care. But the truth is, you're holding the weight of survival every single day.

Calloway's resource covers essential topics including self-care while caring for others, mental health awareness, and practical coping strategies. It emphasizes that young caregivers often fill gaps in a healthcare system lacking affordable home care and respite services. These aren't chores, Calloway notes. They're life-or-death responsibilities. And it breaks my heart to know so many kids are still carrying what I carried—alone.

Despite his caregiving responsibilities, Calloway earned over $1.3 million in scholarships and is preparing to graduate from New York University in 2026. His upcoming initiative, WeRiseLoud, will further amplify young caregivers' voices and advocate for systemic changes to prevent children from bearing adult caregiving burdens alone.