15th March 2023
Young Carers Day raises awareness of the care that young carers (aged 8-18 years) provide and supports they may need to help them in their role.
Belfast Trust Carer Support Service has been raising awareness of young carers and sharing support available in local schools. Working alongside Angela Evans, School Nurse in Mercy College in North Belfast, we co-hosted an information session in partnership with Action for Children, for pupils and staff. The session allowed the service to connect with 650 pupils in the school highlighting the role of a young carer. The session informed pupils of what a young carer is, so that young people can self-identify themselves and access support.
Young carers can undertake a range of caring duties to help a parent, sibling or grandparent and often have to juggle school, homework and having the opportunity to have time to have fun or play with friends. Young carers can often go unseen within households and we are encouraging the public to identify young carers to help them find the support available.
A young carer checklist is available to help connect with young carers and also for young people to identify themselves as carers – this is the first step to accessing support. This resource and further information on supporting on young carers can be found in the Carers’ Services section on this website.
Check out our young carers checklist below.
A young carer is someone aged between 8 and 18 who looks after a member of their family, or a friend. Check out the questions below to check if you could be a Young Carer.
I am between 8 and 18 years old.
I have a family member with a physical / learning disability, mental health issue, addiction or life limiting illness.
I sometimes miss school or social events because I have to take care of a family member.
I worry more about my family member’s health than myself.
Do you put the needs of your family members before your own?
I sometimes feel I have no one to talk to about my caring role.
I rarely get time to do things that I enjoy (like hanging out with my friends) because I am helping care for a family member.
Sometimes, I don’t have the time to complete my homework because I am caring for a family member.
If you ticked four or more of the questions, you could be a Young Carer and support is available. If you live in the Belfast Trust, young carers, their families or professionals can contact Action for Children for more information.
Action for Children – contact details:
Email: niyoungcarers@actionforchildren.org.uk
On-line: Facebook page – NI Youngcarers
Tel: 028 90460500