After years of dedicated research and collaboration to raise awareness and address the challenges faced by young caregivers in Canada, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and the Young Caregivers Association (YCA) are proud to host the first-ever Canadian Young Caregivers Conference and Café Scientifique: Young Caregivers. 

 

Both events are FREE to attend!
 

The Café Scientifique: Young Caregivers  is available to the public and no registration is required  featuring an art display (artists, please see below for our call for artists and themes for artwork). 

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The Canadian Young Caregivers Conference is for invited guests only  (please see below for our application of interest form). 

 

We will bring together a wide range of stakeholders including young caregivers, educators, allies, community leaders, service providers, and decision/policy makers. Together, the event will raise awareness about young caregivers and contribute to opportunities for meaningful change for young caregivers in Canada. The event will be recorded to amplify its impact over time as we work towards getting young caregivers recognized and supported nationally in Canada. 

 

Young caregivers—children, teens, and young adults (typically ages 5 to 25)—provide unpaid care to family members facing illness, disability, injury, and/or other daily challenges. Their responsibilities range from personal care and household tasks to emotional support and/or managing medications or finances. Despite their crucial role and the money they save the Canadian healthcare system, they remain largely invisible, unrecognized in Canadian legislation, and unsupported by society, schools, and healthcare systems. Unlike adult caregivers, they have few tailored resources and often don’t self-identify, assuming their responsibilities are simply “part of family life.” Meanwhile, countries like the UK have recognized and supported young caregivers for decades through formal support and programs across multiple sectors

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Established in 2003, YCA is the first organization in Canada dedicated to supporting young caregivers and their families—both in rural and urban communities—while working to build national awareness. Through Powerhouse™, its award-winning and internationally recognized program, YCA has provided vital support to hundreds of children and youth. As a leading expert in the field, YCA remains committed to advancing recognition and support for these often-overlooked family caregivers. To learn more about the YCA, please visit: YoungCaregivers.ca

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The Canadian Young Caregivers Conference will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (123 King Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8P 4S8) for invited guests determined through our selective application process (please see below for our application of interest form). That being said, it will occur alongside a portion of the event available to the public called the Café Scientifique: Young Caregivers to be held from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST featuring an art display; offering artists, stakeholders, and the public a shared space to better understand young caregivers (artists, please see below for our application of interest form to display your art and/or email us at YoungCarers[at]TorontoMU[dot]ca with questions you may have). An interactive portion for networking and engagement in meaningful discussions about young caregivers will be available in the morning from 8:00 - 9:30 AM EST. Breakfast will be provided to all who attend in the morning and artists will display their work until 4:00 PM EST to engage the public on young caregivers on the day of the event.

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The Canadian Young Caregivers Conference and Café Scientifique: Young Caregivers are made possible through funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.