Former Young Caregiver Omarion Calloway Releases Free Guide to Support Millions of Children Facing Similar Challenges

Omarion Calloway, who began caregiving for his grandmother and uncle at age ten, has released a free online guide to support the millions of children across America who silently carry adult responsibilities. By thirteen, Calloway had memorized seizure protocols, changed diapers, and learned to interpret his uncle's nonverbal cues while his classmates focused on typical childhood activities. His experiences reflect those of over 5.4 million young caregivers in the United States, many from Black and Brown communities who disproportionately bear these burdens without recognition or support.

The guide, available at https://www.MoreThanSurvivalGuide.com, addresses critical gaps in how society supports children managing medical care, household responsibilities, and emotional labor for family members. Calloway notes that young caregivers remain largely invisible to systems that should protect them, with teachers often misinterpreting their exhaustion as distraction and peers misunderstanding their limited availability. Behind this invisibility lies a healthcare system that frequently leaves families without affordable home care or respite services, forcing children to become untrained gap-fillers in essential care situations.

More Than Survival blends personal narrative with practical guidance, covering self-care strategies for children who cannot pour from an empty cup, mental health resources that challenge cultural silence in marginalized communities, and small lifelines that maintain humanity under tremendous pressure. The guide emphasizes that caregiving responsibilities extend far beyond typical chores, involving life-or-death decisions and constant vigilance that most children should never need to manage. Calloway's own journey through homelessness, bullying, and loss demonstrates both the profound challenges and remarkable resilience of young caregivers.

The resource's release signals growing recognition of young caregivers' contributions and struggles, particularly within communities of color where cultural expectations and systemic barriers often compound caregiving burdens. Calloway's upcoming WeRiseLoud initiative will further amplify these voices through workshops, school partnerships, and advocacy for systemic changes that prevent children from shouldering adult responsibilities alone. His work transforms personal experience into collective action, ensuring that future young caregivers receive the acknowledgment and support they deserve while navigating unimaginable circumstances.