In May 2009, The HSC Foundation, The MayaTech Corporation and National Health Foundation came together to identify and address common issues faced by caregivers across the nation.

After connecting with numerous experts in the caregiving field and reviewing ongoing programs and research, these three partners decided to focus their efforts on caregiving populations that are often overlooked by providers, researchers and advocates. Typically, these caregivers are from low-income minority communities and are caring for a range of populations, including youth transitioning to adulthood and young wounded veterans returning from combat (referred to as "wounded warriors"). These caregivers are not purposefully overlooked, but rather, they face unusual circumstances that create barriers to their participation in services and research, such as:

• Caregivers from low-income communities often do not have access to telephone or Internet services.
• Cultural traditions can inhibit individuals from self-identifying as a caregiver or seeking supportive services.
• Caregivers of wounded veterans and other populations are new and unexpected caregivers.

The HSC Foundation and their partners turned to community-based service organizations that are not traditionally considered caregiving groups. Together, these partners hosted a series of listening sessions to get a better sense of these caregivers' unique issues and unmet needs, and highlight issues that are not necessarily present in the mainstream (abstract from p. 3 of report).