Young Carers

A young carer is someone who is under 18 years old and helps to look after someone who has a disability or long term condition. If you’re a young carer, you are more likely to look after your parents, a brother or a sister. You may take on extra responsibilities at home such as cooking or cleaning.

Some children might be caring for someone full time and the level of care they offer may have an impact on what else they are able to do. This might be because they attend to all the physical care needs of their parent or carer. Other children might help care for someone from time to time and it may not have such a significant impact on their lives.

How to identify a young carer and refer

Young carers may not even recognise that they are doing anything that their friends don’t do, and they may not be open about it with people. It will be those trusted adults that see young carers every day who may be able to notice and ask questions.

If you know someone that may be a young carer, or are a young carer yourself, you can ask your local Family Hub or Youth Hub for support.

When you contact your local youth or family hub, they will put you in contact with the young carer team who offer a range of support to young carers.

The young carer team within the council offer a wide range of support for young carers including, groups, one to one interventions and district wide events. Further information on the young carer team offer can be found on the Wakefield Families Together website: Young Carers – Wakefield Families Together