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Young Carers

Young Carers Young Carer

If you look after a parent, relative or brother or sister who is ill, physically or mentally disabled, drug dependant or an alcoholic, then you could be a young carer.

Sometimes it might be too much to cope with and make you feel alone, angry or worried. It’s good to talk about how you feel and ask for help if you need it.

Caring for someone can make you feel tired so try to look after yourself too. It’s okay to have some time doing things you enjoy, like relaxing with friends or listening to music.

It can be hard to think about your future, whether you plan to get a job or apprenticeship, or go to college or university. But you have to live your life too. That doesn’t mean that you love your family any less.

What to look out for:

  • Being a carer means looking after someone, even if it’s just for a few hours a week.
  • Not talking about how you feel means you might miss out on getting the support you need.
  • Unfortunately some young carers are bullied* at school or fall behind in lessons.

What to do:

If you’re finding things hard, is there anyone else who can share the caring you do?

  • If you’re being bullied at school or your school work is affected, talk to your parents, teacher or an adult you trust,
  • You can meet other young people like you at Young Carers Projects – it might be a club or a day out.
  • If you’re planning to work in the future, some companies have Carers Policies to make it easy as possible for you.
  • The government has started New Deal for Carers to try to take some pressure off young carers.

Contacts:

ChildLine: 0800 1111

NSPCC 24 Hour Child Protection Hotline: 0808 800 5000

Young Carers Website

Barnados Website

Keeping Children and Young People safe is everybodies business.