Middle and High School Students Who Take Care of Siblings, Parents and Grandparents: Associations with School Engagement, Belonging, and Wellbeing

This partnership-based study identified how many middle and high school students take care of parents, siblings, and grandparents at home, via student surveys across Rhode Island public schools (N = 48,508; 46% White non-Latinx; 21% Latinx; 47% girls). Further, we investigated how students’ caregiving for family related to their school engagement, belonging, and emotional wellbeing. A sizable proportion of students reported caring for family for part (29%) or most of the day (7%). Girls and Black, Asian, Latinx, Native, and Multiracial youth were more likely to care for family compared to boys and White non-Latinx youth. Caregiving students from all demographics were more likely to experience intense sadness compared to non-caregivers, revealing a need to support caregiving youth in schools. In addition, caregiving girls reported lower levels of school engagement and school belonging. However, caregiving for part of the day was related to greater belonging among Black and Native youth.