Young Carers Awareness Day
YCAD is a national day of recognition for the estimated 700,000 young carers in the UK.
It is estimated that 1 in 12 young people in secondary schools are young carers.
Research shows that:
· Only half of young carers have a particular person in school who recognises that they are a carer and helps them
· 68% of young carers are bullied in schools
- Young carers have significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level – the difference between nine Bs and nine Cs
What is a young carer?
Some young children, often from an early age, take on regular or ongoing care and support for another family member (usually a parent or sibling) with a physical or mental illness, a disability, or who is struggling with substance misuse.
Young carers often have to assume a level of responsibility that would normally only be asked of an adult. The stress and anxiety that this can cause can leave them feeling isolated and unsupported. Many miss out on their childhood and youth as time constraints make it impossible for them to attend school or take part in leisure activities with their peers.
Spurgeons offers a wide range of services to support young carers, from mentoring and educational support to activities and trips away to give them much needed time out from their caring duties. We work with over 1,800 young carers nationally.
