“CYP - A Safety Net that Saves At Risk Students”

Oct. 18, 2011 - PRLog -- Boca Raton, FL.  Isabel (Izzy) Parrado, M. Ed an employee of The School District of Palm Beach County since 1977 has joined the Board of Directors of the American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY).  She is a professional counselor at Okeeheelee Middle School, one of eight middle schools in the County to house the Caregiving Youth Project (CYP) of AACY. Izzy earned her BA degree from the University of Florida and her Master of Education in School Counseling Education from Florida Atlantic University.  She is the Treasurer of the Palm Beach School Counselors Association and is a member of the Florida School Counselors Association as well as a former Board member of the Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches.  The CYP is now in its fourth year at Okeeheelee Middle School where Izzy says, “It is a safety net that saves at risk students.”  

AACY works in full partnership with the School District of Palm Beach County and currently serves more than 400 caregiving youth and their families in 8 area middle schools and 17 high schools, with 150 more youth being added in the coming year. The broad mission of the CYP is a) Increase awareness of caregiving youth issues throughout the Palm Beach County health and education communities; b) Identify and prioritize students in greatest need of services through survey and assessment; c) Reduce anxiety, depression and increase caregiving children's satisfaction with life through the provision of counseling, education, and support services including respite and sponsored activities; d) Conduct in-home evaluations to link families with existing support services; and e) replicate the CYP model nationwide

For more information about AACY, go to www.aacy.org , or call 561-391-7401.

# # #

The nationalresource for the support of children who are caring for ill, injured, elderly, or disabled family members