Young Carers do more than help Mum and Dad with chores. Young Carers are special because they do grown up things like cleaning, cooking and food shopping because there is no one else able to do them.
“Young Carers are children under 18 who are providing substantial personal and/or emotional care to another family member who is affected by illness, disability or substance misuse.” Department of Children, Schools and Families.
AYC currently uses the following definition;
“A Young Carer is a child or young person under the age of 18 carrying out significant tasks and assuming a level of responsibility for another person which would normally be taken by an adult.”
The term ‘young carer’ does not refer to young people under the age of 18 who are caring for their own children or those who take on age appropriate tasks and responsibilities in the home.