I investigate local explanations for a common family configuration of care for older relatives on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands: the "lone family caregiver." Through the examination of a paradigm case emerging from these explanations, I argue that local logics can divest some children of obligations to care for their older parents. I suggest that this case is an important addition to recent discussions within the anthropology of care that emphasize how families practice "care across distance," as it offers an alternative example of how families manage care in the context of migration.
Keywords: US Virgin Islands; aging; care; family caregiving; kinship; migration.