Being a young carer can have many positive effects such as:

• greater sensitivity to others
• enhanced living skills
• strong family bonds

However, if young carers aren't given proper support there can be some serious negative impacts:

• Impaired education, social, emotional and physical development
• Incomplete schooling
• Poor social skills
• Permanent physical injuries (e.g back injuries from lifting)

The young carers most at risk are those caring for parents, particularly sole parents. In some cases young people in these situations are caring on their own with little or no help.

The emotional impacts of caring can be substantial and all young carers need to know they are not alone. Having professionals who support them, who they can turn to and who understand and will respond appropriately is vital.

If you work in a school as a teacher or school counsellor, or if you work in the community and health sectors, you would come across young carers all the time. Knowing how to support them in an appropriate and sensitive way will make a big difference to the young person and their family.

Some common indicators are:

The young person:

• Is often tired and finds it hard to concentrate
• Has a lot of knowledge about illness or disability
• Often late or misses days or weeks off school (without any reason given)
• Wants to keep their mobile on during school & contacts home a lot
• May be bullied or teased (especially about their family)
• Has back or neck pain (due to lifting)
• Is worried about an ill or disabled relative
• Tends to rush home after school
• Has symptoms of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem
• Has parents/guardians who do not attend parent-teacher interviews
• Has false maturity - acts older than their age
• Tends to care for peers
• Doesn't want to talk about their family
  

• Find a quiet time to talk to the young carer
• Do not bring extra attention to the young carer in front of their peers
• Believe what the young carer shares with you
• Listen empathically
• Let them know that their caring role is valued
• Keep the information that the child shares with you confidential (unless they or someone else are at risk)
• Provide them with information about their nearest young carer supports  
• Provide the young carer with avenues to find out more information about practical and general support services that are available to them 
• Organise for the young carer to talk to someone about how they feel (school counsellor, youth worker, kids helpline -1800 551 800)

• Speak to the young carer in private & keep information confidential
• With the young carers permission speak to the child's parents & develop a school support plan for the child
• Provide support to the young carer to deal with bullying or teasing
• Grant extensions for assignments or homework if necessary
• Provide flexibility and support to assist young carers' parents/guardians to attend parent/teacher interviews
• Allow the young carer to have access to a school telephone or use their mobile to contact home during school hours
• Provide young carers with extra support when needed e.g exam or study periods
• Provide allowances for the young carer to be able to go home straight after school (e.g permission not to attend extra-curricular activities or out of school hour detentions)

• Acknowledge the caring role of the young person
• Listen to what the young carer has to say about their family member
• Provide information about and answer any questions that the young carer has about their family member's condition (in easy to understand language)
• Give the young carer information about how they can best provide support for the person they are caring for
• Give the young carer information on how to take care of their own physical health when providing support e.g how to lift without injuring their back
• Help the young carer to develop an emergency action plan