Is your child a young carer?

A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who helps to look after a parent or sibling who has a condition, such as a disability or an illness. It often involves doing jobs around the home like extra cooking or cleaning, however it also involves giving a lot of emotional support.

The law has changed to protect young carers. From April 2015 a social worker from the local authority must visit the home to undertake a “young carers needs assessment” to decide what kind of help they or the family may need.