Young Carers
The difference between young carers and other young people who help in the home is that young carers are often responsible for someone else in their family in a way that most other young people aren't.
Young carers are children or young people aged 18 or under who also look after someone in their family who has an illness, a disability, a mental health problem. They may be taking on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that an adult would normally do.
The majority of young carers look after one of their parents or care for a brother or sister. They do jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning, or helping someone to get dressed and move around.
Young carers may need to help a relative deal with their feelings by talking to them, listening and trying to understand their problems.
As a young carer it can be difficult to know what help is available and how you can get it. Health professionals such as GPs, or other professionals such as social workers who may visit the family home, can be a useful source of information.
Being a young carer can affect many areas of a young person’s life, including school and college, socialising and how you may feel about being a young carer.
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