First international young carers conference!

I am so excited!  I completed my conference selections for the first International Young Carers Conference which will be held in Vancouver British Columbia in May.  The conference is called Child and Youth Matters and has combined three conferences in one.  They are the First national Family Mental Health Conference, the Third International World Congress on Children of Parents with Mental Illness and the First International Young Carers Congress.

The number of presentations to choose from made choosing the conferences difficult.  There were so many things that appealed to me from my previous life as a mental health Case Manager and  my new role as an advocate for care-giving children couldn't be a better fit.  The conference will bring together people from many different backgrounds to share and learn.

The Young Carers movement in the UK and Australia is well established.  In England the government has a national strategy for Caregivers.  Our Canadian group will be able to learn a great deal from these established programs.   I am looking forward to the experience and learning opportunities that will shape our Canadian commitment to children who take on important roles in their families and communities.  I will report back in a few weeks after the conference!