Young Carers are children or young people under 18, who care for a family member who is ill or disabled. They carry out the kind of caring tasks we might normally expect to be done by an adult.
Caring for an ill or disabled family member, whether it’s a brother, sister or a parent can be difficult. There are different kinds of support that young carers might offer:
physical caring includes helping someone to wash and dress, or helping someone who uses a wheelchair.
practical caring can include shopping, making meals, managing the running of the home or getting brothers and sisters up and off to school.
emotional caring can happen if there is long term illness in the family or perhaps a parent with mental health difficulties.
If you are a young carer or know someone who is then you can get help in the following ways:
If you care for a parent or other adult then you are entitled to an assessment of your needs. Visit our Carer's Needs Assessment page for more informtaion.
If you care for a disabled child then your needs will be considered as part of the overall assessment of your family. Visit our Children’s Disability Service page for more information.
The Young Carers Project at the Carers Centre provides information, support and activities for young carers and their families.