Who are young carers?
Young carers are children and young people who regularly look after a family member who has a disability, long-term illness, mental health condition or substance misuse problem, taking on responsibilities usually expected of adults. Their tasks range from cooking, medication and personal care to translating at appointments, caring for siblings and providing emotional support. In the US, the term caregiving youth is also used.
- First studied
- 1990s UK research (Saul Becker and colleagues)
- Typical tasks
- Housework, personal care, medication, translating, emotional support
- Main risks
- School disruption, isolation, poorer health, limited future options
- Key challenge
- Many are "hidden" and never identified
Research and policy around the world
Becker (2007) compared research from the UK, Australia, the USA and Sub-Saharan Africa and showed that children’s unpaid caregiving exists everywhere but often goes unseen. Leu and Becker (2017) classified countries by awareness and policy response, placing the UK at the most advanced level. In England, the Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to assess the needs of young carers. In the United States, a 2005 national study by the National Alliance for Caregiving estimated about 1.3–1.4 million caregiving children aged 8 to 18.
Young carers in Japan and Korea
A 2021 national survey commissioned by Japan’s health ministry found that 5.7% of second-year junior high students (about 1 in 17) and 4.1% of second-year high school students cared for family members. In South Korea, public attention grew after a 2021 case involving a young man caring for his father in Daegu, and the government ran its first national survey of family-caregiving young people in 2022. Broader debates about sharing care between families and the state are covered in defamilialization and the socialization of care.
Challenges young carers face
| Area | Common difficulties |
|---|---|
| School | Lateness, absences, no time for homework, dropping plans for college |
| Health | Sleep loss, anxiety and depression, neglecting their own health |
| Social life | Little time with friends, feeling no one would understand |
| Money and future | Financial pressure, part-time work, narrowed career choices |
Many young carers do not even think of themselves as carers. Because looking after a parent feels like "just what families do," they rarely ask for help, and at school they are often mistaken for students who simply don’t try.
How to identify and support young carers
- Notice the signs at school. Frequent lateness, tiredness or a sudden drop in grades can point to caring responsibilities at home.
- Connect the whole family to services. Support for the person being cared for (home care, disability services, treatment) reduces the load on the child.
- Use young carer programs. In the UK, local young carers services and Carers Trust offer respite, groups and school support; in the US, the American Association of Caregiving Youth runs school-based programs.
- Plan for the future. Help young carers keep education and career options open through flexible schooling, scholarships and mentoring.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a young carer?
- A young carer is a child or young person who regularly cares for a family member with an illness, disability, mental health condition or addiction.
- How many young carers are there?
- Estimates vary by country and definition. A 2021 Japanese survey found 5.7% of second-year junior high students were caring for family members.
- What support is available for young carers?
- In England, young carers have a legal right to a needs assessment, and local services offer respite and school support. Other countries are developing similar programs.
References
- Becker, S. (2007). Global perspectives on children’s unpaid caregiving in the family: Research and policy on ‘young carers’ in the UK, Australia, the USA and Sub-Saharan Africa. Global Social Policy, 7(1), 23–50.
- Leu, A., & Becker, S. (2017). A cross-national and comparative classification of in-country awareness and policy responses to ‘young carers’. Journal of Youth Studies, 20(6), 750–762.
- 三菱UFJリサーチ&コンサルティング (2021). 『ヤングケアラーの実態に関する調査研究 報告書』（令和2年度 厚生労働省 子ども・子育て支援推進調査研究事業）.
- Children and Families Act 2014, c. 6, s. 96 (Young carers’ needs assessments). legislation.gov.uk.