Presentation by Elena to the Young People in Libraries NSW statewide working group meeting 21 September 2011, State Library of NSW

1. Carers NSW
Young Carer Program
www.youngcarersnsw.asn.au
1800 242 636

2. Who are Young Carers?
Young carers are children and young
people under the age of 26 who
care for and support a family
member who has a disability,
chronic condition, terminal
illness, mental illness or who has
a drug or alcohol dependency.
The person they help care for may be
a parent, sibling, grandparent,
other relative, or friend.

3. Statistics
 There are approximately 304,800* young carers (1 out of every 20
people under 25) in Australia.
 Approximately 100,200* young carers under 25 live in NSW.
 Carers NSW Young Carers Program currently has 3,233 Young Carer
members throughout NSW.
*(SDAC 2009)

4. What are some of the things
Young Carers do?
Personal Care Household Care Emotional Support
 Feeding  Shopping  Listen
 Bathing  Cleaning  Provide encouragement
 Dressing  Paying bills  Attend appointments
 Medication
management  Repairs  Monitor moods and behaviours
 Lifting / moving  Gardening
 Toileting  Cooking
 Grooming  Washing

5. The impacts of caring
• PHYSICAL Heavy lifting and carrying out
household tasks like cooking and
cleaning, can put strain on developing
bodies.
• EMOTIONAL Young Carers might feel
worried, anxious or stressed out when
they are with, or away from, the person
they care for. They may also feel guilt,
anger, trapped, isolated or
misunderstood.
• SOCIAL Young Carers may not have time
to hang out with friends and take part in
after school activities and are at higher
risk of being bullied.
• EDUCATIONAL Young Carers are at
higher risk of not completing their
education and therefore face more
obstacles when entering the workforce.

6. Positive aspects of caring
• CARING SKILLS Young Carers
develop caring skills which they often
use in future employment, for
example, social work or nursing.
• MATURITY Young Carers are often
very mature for their age.
• CLOSE FAMILY BONDS Young
Carers are often very close to the
family members they care for.

7. HIDDEN CARERS
Looking behind the BEHAVIOUR
to see the YOUNG CARER

8. LAZY?
Looks like….
• Falling asleep
in class
• Hasn’t done homework
• Attention
wandering
• Finding it difficult
to concentrate
• Poor attendance

9. LAZY?
Looks like…. Could be….
• Falling asleep • Up all night taking care
in class of a sick sibling
• Has to cook, clean,
• Hasn’t done homework prepare lunches and
get siblings ready for
• Attention school every day
wandering • Parent has depression
and won’t let young
• Finding it difficult carer leave home to go
to concentrate to school
• Has to take on an after
• Poor attendance school job in order to
help support the family
financially

10. SHOW OFF?
Looks Like….
• Attention seeking
• Ambitious
• Class clown
• Bullying

11. SHOW OFF?
Looks Like…. Could Be….
• Attention seeking • Sibling with a disability
needs extra parental
• Ambitious attention
• Class clown • Own needs not being
acknowledged at
• Bullying home
• Anticipatory grief for
terminally ill family
member

12. LONER?
Looks like….
• Not included in peer
activities
• Victim of bullying
• Works/sits alone
• Doesn’t have friends
over to the house

13. LONER?
Looks like…. Could be….
• Never learnt how to
• Not included in peer relate to own age group
activities
• Fear of being teased
about mum who has a
• Victim of bullying mental illness
• Doesn’t know how to
• Works/sits alone assert own needs
• Has had no opportunity
• Doesn’t have friends to learn social skills
over to the house
• Too embarrassed to
invite friends home

14. NEGLECTED?
Looks Like….
• Unclean clothing
• Lack of / ill-fitting
uniform or suitable
clothing
• Inadequate food
• No finances for
excursions, etc
• Unkempt appearance

15. NEGLECTED?
Looks Like…. Could Be….
• Demands of caring role
• Unclean clothing means there is no time to
do washing
• Lack of / ill-fitting
• Cost of medication results
uniform or suitable in financial hardship
clothing
• Parent with back injury
• Inadequate food can’t do the shopping
• High needs of disabled
• No finances for sibling means no attention
excursions, etc given to needs of young
carer
• Unkempt appearance

16. PRECOCIOUS?
Looks like....
• Talks in an adult way
• Used to taking control
• Has a lot of knowledge
about disability/illness
• Is said to have a “caring
nature”

17. PRECOCIOUS?
Looks like.... Could be....
• Used to liaising with
• Talks in an adult way service providers at
home
• Used to taking control • May have to take on
some responsibilities
that are considered
• Has a lot of knowledge ‘parental’
about disability/illness
• Used to taking the lead
in decision making
• Is said to have a “caring
nature” • May have to make
important medical
decisions on behalf of
parent

18. DRAMA QUEEN?
Looks Like….
• Crying
• Over-reacting
• Anger
• Moodiness
• Teen angst

19. DRAMA QUEEN?
Looks Like…. Could be….
• Crying • Not coping with caring
responsibilities
• Over-reacting
• Worried/anxious about
person requiring care
• Anger
• Too embarrassed to ask
• Moodiness for help
• Teen angst • Guilt about wanting
own life
• Depression about future

20. What does the Young Carer Team do?
The NSW Young Carer Program was created to:
• be a central point of contact for young carers to access information and be
referred to appropriate services.
• support young carers through counselling, either on the telephone or
face-to-face.
• keep young carers informed via the young carer website and through the
quarterly newsletter YC News and monthly YC E-News.
• raise public awareness of young carer issues and help to educate people
about what it means to be a young carer.
• develop networks throughout the state and
nationally to improve services for young carers and
their families.
• Offer opportunities and training to young carers who
want to advocate for and raise awareness of young
carers as a Young Carer Representative

21. Young Carer Program: Age Ratio
1%
<8
17%
42%
8-12
40% 13-17
18-25

22. Young Carer Program: Cultural
5% Unknown
7%
47%
Australian
41%
ATSI
CALD

23. Young Carer Program: Region
Central Coast
Central West
Cumberland/prospect
Far North Coast
Hunter
Illawarra
Inner West
Mid North Coast
Nepean
New England
North Sydney
Orana Far West
Riverina Murray
Sth East Sydney
Sth West Sydney
Southern Highlands
Other

24. Young Carer Program: Caring Situation
Autism Cancer
Cerebral Palsy Chrinic Fatigue Syndrome
14% Chronic Illness Dementia/Alzheimers
Diabetes Disability Developmental
7% Disability Physical Emphysema
Head Injury (traumatic brain injury) Hearing impairment
Heart Problems HIV/AIDS
Huntingtons Disease Incontinence
27% Intellectual Disability Kidney problems
Mental Illness Motor Neurone Disease
Multiple Sclerosis Muscular Dystrophy
7% Non-traumatic brain injury Pallative Care
Parkinsons Disease Spinal Cord Injury
Stroke Visual Impairment
Other

25. Young Carer Website
www.youngcarersnsw.asn.au
• Join the YC Club
• YC Chat (discussion room)
• Ask a question
• Post a story or poem
• News - activities & supports
• Media stories about young carers
• Young carer fact sheets
• Useful contact numbers

26. YC News
YC News is sent out every 3 months by post and includes:
• News updates
• Young carer stories
• Competitions
• Photos
• Quick and easy recipes
• Stories about types of illness
or disabilities
• Counselling information
• And much more!!!

27. Young Carer E-News
YC E-News is sent out monthly via email and includes:
• News updates
• Media releases
• Upcoming young carer activities
• Upcoming young carer camps
• Young carer support groups
• Other young carer events
• Young carer research
• Competitions
• And much more!!!

28. Thank you
For more information, or to register a young
carer, contact the Young Carer Team on
1800 242 636
To register for E-News visit the website at
www.youngcarersnsw.asn.au
Any questions?