TIME: Medicaid Cuts Could Force More Kids to Become Caregivers
The TIME article argues that proposed GOP healthcare cuts and the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" will exacerbate an invisible crisis by forcing more children into caregiving roles. Written by Lisa McCarty, who shares her own experience as a childhood caregiver, the piece highlights that an estimated 5.4 million youth in the U.S. already care for ill or disabled family members—a burden that leads to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and long-term mental health struggles. As Medicaid reductions threaten to strip coverage from millions, including those relying on Home Care Based Services, the author warns that the lack of formal support systems will leave even more children to perform unpaid, essential work that carries a heavy emotional and financial toll into adulthood.
