Caregiving – a new documentary and national engagement campaign on the state and stakes of providing care in America.
Church had always been an essential part of Patricia Parker’s life. Still, when her son Matthew was diagnosed with autism, she felt like there was little support in her community, and church no longer felt like a place that welcomed her whole family. She began looking for a more inclusive church service. That was how she met Salina Miller, whose son Elijah is also autistic. Together, they sought to create an inclusive church service that could welcome all members of the community. Their inclusive church in Cleveland, Ohio, allows caregivers and care recipients to be a part of a community and participate in services that might otherwise exclude them.
There are an estimated 53 million to 105.6 million U.S. adults providing unpaid caregiving for family or friends. Every one of them has a story that’s filled with sacrifice, love, and the pursuit of dignity in care. Learn more about Caregiving, airing on PBS & Well Beings.org in 2025.
Caregiving is a production of Lea Pictures and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark Media. For Ark Media, Chris Durrance serves as Director and Senior Producer; Barak Goodman is Series Producer; and Ruth Fertig is Producer. Executive Producers for Lea Pictures are Bradley Cooper and Weston Middleton. Executive Producers for WETA are John F. Wilson and Tom Chiodo. Producer for WETA is Kate Kelly. Production is managed for WETA by Jim Corbley. Consulting Producer is Paul Irving.
Producer’s Note (Nov. 22, 2024): Funding for Caregiving is provided in part by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical. Funders do not have any editorial input whatsoever in Caregiving, including the selection of featured caregivers.