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]
Researchers explored the needs of young carers and the people they care for with respect to the support they receive (for example, social care worker visits, counselling and school support). They found that young carers wanted support to be well signposted and accessible, empathetic, trustworthy and confidential. The researchers suggest that young carers would benefit from improved support for the people they care for (such as more support from a care worker), support from services that takes account of the whole family, and their strengths and needs, clear and accessible information about support services, and help in accessing and trying them out. [17] [18]
Gilgandra is a country town in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia, and services the surrounding agricultural area where wheat is grown extensively together with other cereal crops, and sheep and beef cattle are raised. The town is the administrative seat of the Gilgandra Shire.
Mission Australia is a national Christian charity that provides a range of community services throughout Australia. It has its roots in the Brisbane sector of The British and Foreign Bible Society’s sub-committee, The Colporteur Society (1869), and Sydney City Mission (1862), but was only officially established in 1996, bringing together a number of city missions across the country. The organisation specialises in the areas of homelessness and housing, families and children, early learning, youth, employment and skills, substance abuse, disability, mental health, and strengthening communities. Sharon Callister has been CEO since March 2022.
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.
Kinship care is a term used in the United States and Great Britain for the raising of children by grandparents, other extended family members, and unrelated adults with whom they have a close family-like relationship such as godparents and close family friends because biological parents are unable to do so for whatever reason. Legal custody of a child may or may not be involved, and the child may be related by blood, marriage, or adoption. This arrangement is also known as "kincare" or "relative care." Kinship placement may reduce the number of home placements children experience; allow children to maintain connections to communities, schools, and family members; and increase the likelihood of eventual reunification with birth parents. It is less costly to taxpayers than formal foster care and keeps many children out of the foster care system. "Grandfamily" is a recently coined term in the United States that refers to families engaged in kinship care.
The New South Wales Ministry of Health, branded NSW Health, is a ministerial department of the New South Wales Government. NSW Health supports the executive and statutory roles of the Ministers for Health, Regional Health, Mental Health, and Medical Research. The Ministry also monitors the performance of the state-wide health organisations that collectively make up NSW Health. It is primarily responsible for the public health system in New South Wales, particularly through public hospitals as well as associated agencies and statutory authorities, such as the NSW Ambulance service.
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.
Patrick Dennistoun McGorry is an Irish-born Australian psychiatrist known for his development of the early intervention services for emerging mental disorders in young people.
The Ted Noffs Foundation is a charitable organisation located in Randwick, New South Wales, Australia. Founded as the Wayside Foundation in 1971 in Sydney by the Reverend Ted Noffs and his wife, Margaret, which provides drug and alcohol services for young people in Australia.
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.
headspace, formally the headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, is an Australian non-profit organisation for youth mental health established by the Australian Government in 2006. The project is funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care under the Youth Mental Health Initiative Program, and indirectly supported through the Better Access Scheme.
St John of God Bendigo Hospital is a 167-bed private hospital located in central Victoria.
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.
Healthcare in Belize is provided through both public and private healthcare systems. The Ministry of Health (MoH) is the government agency responsible for overseeing the entire health sector and is also the largest provider of public health services in Belize. The MoH offers affordable care to a majority of Belizeans with a strong focus on providing quality healthcare through a range of public programs and institutions.
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.
The Top Blokes Foundation is an Australian-based non-government organisation that addresses young men’s health outcomes and provides social education programs to young men and boys. Founded in 2006, Top Blokes Foundation has worked with Australian young men to improve their behaviour, wellbeing and their relationship with schools and communities.
Jesuit Social Services is a social change organisation established by the Australian Jesuits in 1977. Originally based in Melbourne, Australia, it has expanded to include outreach programs in New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
Aged care in Australia, is the provision of services to meet the unique needs of older people in Australia. It includes both residential aged care as well as services provided in the home such as personal care, domestic assistance, home nursing, nutrition and meal preparation, respite services, continence management, mobility & dexterity assistance, transport, social support and the provision of equipment and aids.