For young carers and their families
Information and free resources for young carers, their parents and guardians who would like to learn more about young carers in NSW or who are looking for support.
Who are young carers?
A young carer is a child or young person aged 25 and under who provides care and support to a family member or friend living with a disability, mental illness, drug or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who is frail due to age.
Every young carer is an individual with unique circumstances and responsibilities, and the word ‘carer’ can be confusing. Young carers are children, siblings, grandkids, cousins, parents, partners and friends! You might not use the term ‘young carer’ to describe yourself so it could be hard to know if Carers NSW is the right organisation to connect with. Below is a bit more information about the types of things that young carers do and some of the programs and services you can access as a young carer.
Because young carers are looking after someone else, they usually have more responsibilities than other people their age.
If you are a young carer, you might be providing practical support, emotional support, or personal care – every young carer has a different story.
Being a young carer can be an amazing and
rewarding experience but at times it can also be stressful, frustrating, and
just plain difficult. The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone and
help is available.
Support and services for young carers
Carer Gateway – Practical support for all carers (including counselling, peer support, respite and more).
1800 422 737 (Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm local time)
Young Carer Bursary – A bursary for young carers to assist with education needs and resources.
To check the full eligibility requirements, please see visit the Young Carer Network website.
If you need to talk to someone:
- Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 (for anyone)
- Call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or webchat (for young people aged 5-25 years)
- Call 13YARN on 13 92 76 (to speak with a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter)
- Call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat (between 3.00pm and midnight, every day)
This information is general in nature. Contact Carers NSW for tailored information and referral support.
Resources and fact sheets
Am I A Young Carer? – A fact sheet to help young people identify if they are young carer.
Self-Care Tips For Young Carers – Tips and tricks written by young carers, for young carers.
Speaking With My Teachers – A fact sheet to help young carers talk to their teacher about their caring role.
Support A Friend – A fact sheet for young people who have a friend who is a young carer.
If there is a resource that you would like to suggest we develop, please email youngcarers@carersnsw.org.au.
Get involved
Share your story
Carers NSW often has opportunities for young carers to share their experiences in writing, audio or video interviews, in presentations to professionals, and in other ways.
If you are a young carer and would like to share your story, please complete the online form under ‘Connect with us’ below or email youngcarers@carersnsw.org.au.
Thank you for helping raise awareness of young carers, and inspiring positive change.
Help inform educators and professionals
Are you over the age of 16 years and wanting to work with us to improve young carer awareness, recognition and inclusion in NSW?
The Young Carer Inclusion Network is a Carers NSW initiative that brings together service providers and professionals engaging with young people in NSW to assist with identifying gaps, develop resources and improve the overall experience for young carers.
Young carers can help us by sharing their own experiences and contribute to discussions about young carer supports in mainstream services.
If you are a young carer who would like to participate in this network, click below.
For more information about the Young Carer Inclusion Network and what participation looks like, download the fact sheet below.
Help inform Carers NSW services and resources
The Young Carer Advisory Group is a small group of young carers aged 16-24 years from across NSW who draw on their lived experience to shape Carers NSW policy, research and service delivery to be more young carer-inclusive.
The Young Carer Advisory Group meets 5-6 times a year to provide feedback and guidance on issues affecting young carers, supporting the state-wide work of Carers NSW.
If you are interested in opportunities to be involved in the Young Carer Advisory Group, please email youngcarers@carersnsw.org.au.
Connect with us
Get in touch with Carers NSW using the online form below if you would like assistance with any of the following:
- What support is available for young carers in NSW
- How young carers can share their story or explore skill development opportunities
- Opportunities and information for professionals supporting young carers
Young carers and family members can now receive occasional and relevant information via an online newsletter.
Share your experience or feedback
If you have had an experience with a service
system that you think might also be happening to other young carers, or if you have
a policy recommendation to improve outcomes for young carers and their families
in NSW, you can anonymously complete our online Policy Advice Form.
Carers NSW will use this information to inform
our policy work, including writing submissions and providing feedback to
governments. If you would like help completing a Policy Advice Form, please
call Carers NSW.
Your privacy and confidentiality
All children and young people who access Carers NSW have a right to be protected and to feel safe. Carers NSW has created a document so you can better understand how our organisation and young carers can best work together, including information about our roles, being safe online, keeping young people’s information secure and what to do if young people feel unhappy or unsafe at Carers NSW.
You can ask for help to read this document. A trusted family member, friend or support person may be able to help you.
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019) Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers 2018. TableBuilder Dataset. Canberra: Australian Government. Retrieved from www.abs.gov.au/tablebuilder