Mission:
The Family Caregiver Alliance serves as a public voice for caregivers, illuminating the daily challenges they face; offering them the assistance they need and deserve; and championing their cause through education, services, research, and advocacy.

Background:
A group of families and community leaders came together more than twenty-five years ago in San Francisco to build support services for people providing care to their relatives with chronic, disabling health problems such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, and traumatic brain injuries. Their efforts led to the creation of FCA in 1977 and a network of Caregiver Resource Centers throughout California. Since its inception, FCA has focused on caregiver advocacy at the national and state levels. It launched the National Center on Caregiving in 2001 to develop high-quality, cost-effective policies and programs; conduct research and document current issues related to caregiving; offer education and training opportunities; and provide information and assistance to caregivers.

Outstanding Feature:
The FCA Web site was recently redesigned to offer improved navigation, more coverage of national public policy issues, and online versions of new publications. The main sections of the site are easily accessible from every page with clearly labeled tabs: Public Policy & Research, Caregiving Info & Advice, Fact Sheets & Publications, Newsletters, Discussion Groups, Press Room, and About FCA. Its home page currently features advice for caregivers during the holidays, policy briefs on paid family leave and caregiver depression, and updated fact sheets on Huntington's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. FCA's site also provides information in Spanish and Chinese.