Young Carers Awareness Day
Today marks Young Carers Awareness Day, a day of recognition for the 700,000 young carers in the UK who support a family member who is disabled, ill or has a problem with alcohol or drugs. The aim of the day is to help people to understand how difficult it can be for young carers to realise their hopes and dreams for the future unless they have the right support in place.
Some people start caring at a very young age and don’t realise they are carers. Other young people become carers overnight.
But young carers shouldn’t do the same things as adult carers, nor should they be spending a lot of their time caring for someone, as this can get in the way of them doing well at school and doing the same kinds of things as other children or young people.
All disabled adults are entitled to support from their local authority, depending on their needs, so they should not have to rely on their children to care for them. It’s important for social services to ensure the whole family feels supported.
If you are a young carer or if you want to find out what support is available for a young carer you know, information can be found at:
