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Help for a 'hidden population' of caregiving kids - CNN.com

Help for a 'hidden population' of caregiving kids - CNN.com: According to a 2006 study conducted by Civic Enterprises for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 22% of high school dropouts in the United States leave school to care for a family member (PDF).
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09:00 AM ET

Young caregivers put life on hold

By Jacque Wilson, CNN
(CNN) - Kim Shifren came home from school one day to find her world turned upside down. Her mom had suffered a massive heart attack; doctors said she would need weeks to recover.
In a matter of minutes, the 14-year-old went from child to child caregiver.
Shifren spent the next month bathing, dressing and feeding her mom before school. When she got home, she cleaned the house and made dinner. Her dad helped when he could, but he worked long hours to support the family.
Two years later, Shifren had to do it all again when her mom had another heart attack. And then again when a third heart attack hit two years after that.