Family caregivers are the glue holding together the delivery and financing of long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the U.S., but they lack resources to maintain their health, well-being, and financial security while providing crucial support for others.

But efforts are under way to change that. On May 1, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) announced $20 million in new funding over five years for its first major initiative in support of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.

The strategy is based on extensive outreach conducted by a team from both the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and Community Catalyst’s Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation, which gathered information on family caregiving through information requests and interviews from thousands of caregivers and stakeholder organizations that serve family caregivers. The researchers’ report, Building a National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers: Findings from Key Informant Interviews and Stakeholder Listening Sessions, summarizes caregivers’ concerns, suggestions, and priorities. These research findings were incorporated by the RAISE (Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage) Act Family Caregiving Advisory Council into its national strategy proposal to the federal government.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra cited the LTSS Center research in his White House presentation of the National Caregiver Strategy in October 2022: “Our new, first of its kind national strategy recognizes the critical role family caregivers play in a loved one’s life. I know the importance of this first-hand, as someone who cared for my late father and navigated the challenges associated with caregiving,” he said.

ACL will award five cooperative agreements for projects to foster advancements in two programs authorized by the Older Americans Act—the National Family Caregiver Support Program and the Native American Caregiver Support program. Each project will receive up to $1.1 million annually for four years to develop, test, and disseminate new approaches to supporting family caregivers. A wide range of public and private organizations are eligible and encouraged to apply, and it creates an unprecedented opportunity for the aging and disability networks to build new partnerships with organizations in other fields that can help drive innovation in these areas.

The initiative is in keeping with President Biden’s Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers, signed April 18. Applications are due Monday, June 26, 2023. Complete details and application instructions are posted on Grants.gov, available here.