A young carer is a young person who cares, unpaid, for a person who has any type of physical or mental illness, physical and/or mental disability or misuses substances such as alcohol or drugs. The age of a young carer varies between countries. For example, in Australia a young carer is a person under the age of 25 years old, [1] while in the United Kingdom it is under 18. [2]
The roles taken on by a young carer are exhaustive and are carried out often behind closed doors on top of the normal pressures of a young persons life. The care they give may be practical, physical, and emotional. Responsibilities may range from providing practical support such as helping to cook, clean or wash, giving personal care, emotional support, providing medication or helping with financial chores.
The person they care for may be a parent, a partner, their own child, a sibling, [3] another family member, a friend or someone who does not necessarily live in the same house as them.
There are support programs to assist young carers both emotionally and financially with day-to-day tasks and making decisions. These programs offer face-to-face counselling, online programs, and phone helplines. [4] [5] [6] [7]
There are estimated to be around 260,700 young carers in Australia (more than 3% of all people under 25), 83,700 of whom live in NSW. Of these living in NSW, 11,600 (13.9%) are primary carers. Around one in ten carers in NSW (9.7%) are young carers. However, many young carers are not included in these statistics as they are likely to be hidden carers. Fifty percent of young carers are female. [8]
Research has also shown that young primary carers are more likely to be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders or be of a culturally or linguistically diverse background than non-carers of the same age. [9]
In terms of geographical location, 21.5% of young carers live outside of a major city. [8]
Each Australian state and territory has a carer association that may provide information and services relevant to young carers. [10] Additionally, Carer Gateway, the national service system for carers in Australia, provides information and support for unpaid young carers and can be reached on 1800 422 737. [11] The Young Carers Network is a national website that also provides young carers with information on their local support services, helpful resources and a platform to share their story and opinions. [12]
Carers NSW Young Carer Program provides information and referral support to young carers in NSW and the professionals, educators and community members who support them. [13]
Little Dreamers Australia is an independent not-for-profit that supports Young Carers across Australia. [14]
According to the Carers Trust, in 2016 there were around 700,000 young carers in the UK [15] which is approximately 1 in every 12 teenagers and around 2 in every classroom. Some support programmes for young carers have been cut due to austerity. The amount of support young carers get varies from area to area and is subject to a postcode lottery. [16]
The Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located in the suburb of St Leonards. It serves as a teaching hospital for Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and Australian Catholic University and has over 600 beds.
Lifestart, a not for profit organisation and registered charity, provides early intervention and school age years inclusion support programs and supports to children and young people 0 – 24 years living with disability or developmental delay.
Homelessness in Australia is a social issue concerning the number of people in Australia that are considered to be homeless. There are no internationally agreed upon definitions of homelessness, making it difficult to compare levels of homelessness across countries. A majority of people experiencing homelessness long-term in Australia are found in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. It is estimated that on any given night approximately 116,000 people will be homeless and many more are living in insecure housing, "one step away from being homeless". A person who does not obtain any shelter is often described as sleeping 'rough'.
Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre is an alcohol and other drugs organisation located in the inner Melbourne (Australia) suburb of Richmond. Established in 1994 in Fitzroy, the organisation provides clinical treatment and support to those with substance addiction issues, as well as conducting clinical and epidemiological research and development. In addition, the organisation provides education and training to health and welfare professionals.
Carers' rights are rights of unpaid carers or caregivers to public recognition and assistance in preventing and alleviating problems arising from caring for relatives or friends with disabilities. The carers' rights movement draws attention to issues of low income, social exclusion, damage to mental and physical health identified by research into unpaid caregiving. In social policy and campaigning the movement distinguishes such people's situation from that of paid careworkers, who in most developed countries have the benefit of legal employment protection and rights at work. With an increasingly ageing population in all developed societies, the role of carer has been increasingly recognized as an important one, both functionally and economically. Many organizations which provide support for persons with disabilities have developed various forms of support for carers/caregivers as well.
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Youth Off The Streets is an Australian non-denominational not-for-profit youth organisation. The organisation works with young people and their families and communities in an endeavour to create safety, offer support and provide opportunities to build a positive future.
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One Door Mental Health, formerly Schizophrenia Fellowship of New South Wales Inc (SFNSW), is a community-based not for profit organisation that provides a range of services for people with mental illness, their families, and carers. One Door Mental Health operates predominantly in the Australian state of New South Wales.
Community Early Learning Australia is a peak organisation for children's services in New South Wales, Australia. It was known as Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) up until 2017. It is a not-for-profit organisation. Its stated goals are to "inform and inspire the early education and care sector, and influence government policy, practices and programs so children in NSW can access quality early education and care that meet the needs of their communities." As such, it advocates for early education and child care services in New South Wales.
Caregiving by country is the regional variation of caregiving practices as distinguished among countries.
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