The National Carer Strategy 2024-34 was launched on Tuesday, 10 December 2024, by the Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth MP.
The ten-year Strategy sets a national agenda to improve the lives of Australia’s 3 million carers, ensuring they are recognised and respected by their community and are supported to prioritise their health and wellbeing and social and economic participation.
Driven by a vision where all carers are recognised, valued and supported to participate fully in society and their caring role, the Strategy creates a clear direction for the Australian Government to work towards and achieve its vision.
Six priority areas have been identified to help guide the direction and focus of the Strategy:
- Government, the community and services see and value carers, recognise their expertise and contribution, and create an environment that enables carers to identify at the earliest opportunity.
- Carers can access supports, services and programs at the right time, right place and in the right way.
- Ensure carers are able to develop knowledge and skills when needed to fulfill their caring role.
- Carers can access, and participate in employment and education or training, including to improve their financial wellbeing.
- Carers have access to supports that safeguard their psychological, physical and social wellbeing.
- Build the evidence base about carers to better understand who carers are, including their diversity, what their experiences are, what works for them and why.
A three-year action plan has also been released and provides further information about how priority areas will be supported through the delivery of practical supports for carers.
Actions that have been announced alongside the Strategy include:
- Increasing the number of phone counselling sessions through Carer Gateway by a further 10,000 sessions per year– helping more than 1,600 additional carers each year;
- Extending the hours for the Carer Gateway support service so carers can seek support at times that are more flexible to their needs; and
- Expanding access to peer support services and carer skills training.
Read or download the National Carer Strategy 2024-34 at: https://www.dss.gov.au/supporting-carers/national-carer-strategy.