Carla Velastegui

Carla Velastegui became a young caregiver when her mother, Gina, was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease. Having recently immigrated from Colombia, Carla stepped in to accompany her mother to her appointments, serving as both translator and advocate.  

As her mother’s care needs progressed over the years, Carla has taken on additional responsibilities —eventually also contributing financial support to her household. While she felt proud to help in this way, the lack of recognition for caregivers, especially young caregivers, created significant challenges as she tried to balance school and the start of her career. 

“When my mom’s care needs intensified while I was at university, I had to drop my course load, which meant I no longer qualified for the grants and loans I was depending on. Grants became loans, and I was no longer eligible to receive some of the government loans. There was no flexibility. My debt grew, and I took a semester off to work multiple jobs to save money in order to go back.” 

At the time, young caregivers could not list an adult as a “dependent.” That policy gap left Carla graduating with far more debt than if her role as a caregiver had been acknowledged. 

While completing her studies, Carla did receive some support from her faculty director, who gave her some flexibility to complete the program. But once she entered the workforce, she found the same pattern: support was ad hoc, inconsistent, and dependent on individual managers rather than formal policies. 

“A workplace may not have a specific policy in place, so it often depends on individual managers. I wasn’t always comfortable sharing that I was caregiver, and I did experience burnout. Over time, some managers have provided me with the flexibility to support my mom when needed, accommodating those responsibilities as best as they could. But it’s really at their goodwill.” 

Now in her mid-30’s, Carla is more comfortable disclosing her caregiving role to employers and advocating for the support she needs to thrive at work and at home.  

Today, Gina’s condition has intensified, and Carla has stepped away from the workforce to focus on her mother’s care and pursue the next chapter of her personal and professional life—while also helping her father take on a more active role. 

“From my experience, caregiving is a national issue – essential social infrastructure that shapes our workforce, communities, and healthcare system. When people like me leave the workforce, because we’re burning out and don’t have the right supports, our ability to contribute to the local economy is limited. This affects our financial well-being, including long-term savings and contributions to programs like CPP and EI. These individual impacts have broader economic consequences for society as a whole – not just for caregivers.” 

Photo by Christine Grace Photography.