Support for young carers Aged 8-15
Being a young carer means you help one or more of your family members with a number of caring tasks at home.
Maybe you provide care for someone facing challenges such as:
- Physical disability or sensory impairment
- Long-term illness
- Emotional support
- Mental health issues
- Problematic drug and/or alcohol misuse
- Learning disability
If this sounds like you, we’re here to help.
USEFUL NUMBERS
young carer statistics
what does it mean to be a young carer?
The official definition is this: “children and young people who provide regular or ongoing care for a family member who is physically or mentally ill, disabled, or misuses substances.’ it simply means: A young carer is a child or young person who cares for a family member who needs extra support.
Support for Young Carers
GYC is a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people like you, who take on the responsibility for caring.
It might help if your teachers know your situation. Doing your homework at school means you might miss some of your breaks but it will give you a bit more time when you get home and you might still get to sleep on time!
It’s really important to have somewhere just for you where you can be just you!
Letting off steam is a must! Make sure you’ve got a safe place where you can really let rip!
It’s not giving up, just coming back to it later, really good for everyone sometimes
You might not want everyone knowing all your secrets but someone you can talk to can really help
It can be a life line, but only if it’s charged
It’s not just important for people to get hold of you
Just in case! It can really help avoid a panic
Try not to let caring take over your whole life, you still need to be you!
Some top tips recommended by other young carers
It’s important to take time for yourself and do something different…
WHO TO TALK TO?
If you are worried about something, don’t keep it to yourself, there are lots of different people who you could talk