When we think of someone providing care for another person, we often picture an adult.

But across the UK, children and young people can also have caring responsibilities at home.

A young carer may help look after a parent, brother, sister or another family member who needs additional support. They may help with practical household tasks, provide companionship or take on responsibilities that many other people their age do not experience.

For community charities, schools and local organisations, recognising young carers is important.

The aim is not to define a young person entirely by their caring responsibilities. It is to help ensure they have opportunities, support and recognition alongside them.

What Is a Young Carer?

A young carer is generally a child or young person who helps care for somebody because of illness, disability, mental health difficulties or another support need.

Every situation is different.

Some young people may provide occasional assistance.

Others may have much more significant responsibilities.

Carers Trust works with organisations supporting unpaid carers and young carers across the UK.

Carers UK also provides extensive information about caring and the support available.

Specialist organisations are important because young carers and their families may require support that goes far beyond what a general community charity can provide.

Caring Responsibilities Can Be Easy to Miss

A young person does not necessarily introduce themselves by saying:

“I’m a young carer.”

They may simply see their responsibilities as normal family life.

Teachers, youth organisations and community groups may therefore encounter young carers without immediately realising it.

This is why awareness matters.

Recognising that young carers exist can help organisations respond sensitively when a child appears to have significant responsibilities outside school or community activities.

School Life Can Become More Complicated

Education already requires young people to balance lessons, homework, exams, friendships and extracurricular activities.

Caring responsibilities can add another layer.

A young carer may need to think about what is happening at home while trying to concentrate at school.

They may have less time available for homework or social activities.

This does not mean organisations should make assumptions about a young person’s performance.

It means recognising that circumstances outside the classroom can influence everyday life.

Young Carers Still Need Time to Be Young

One of the simplest principles is also one of the most important.

Young carers are children and young people first.

They should have opportunities to:

• Spend time with friends
• Participate in sport
• Enjoy hobbies
• Attend community activities
• Learn new skills
• Relax
• Have fun

Community organisations can help create inclusive activities where young people can participate without feeling different or singled out.

The Children’s Society and Young Carers

The Children’s Society works with children and young people facing a variety of challenges and provides information about young carers.

The organisation’s work highlights an important point: support needs to consider the young person’s wider life rather than focusing exclusively on their caring responsibilities.

Young people need opportunities, relationships and a sense of belonging.

Practical Household Support Can Help the Whole Family

Sometimes supporting a young carer can mean helping the household rather than the young person directly.

Imagine a family already dealing with significant caring responsibilities while also experiencing financial hardship.

Practical assistance such as food support or essential household products may remove one additional pressure.

This is an area where community charities can potentially complement specialist carers organisations.

The specialist service supports caring-related needs.

The community charity might help with immediate practical hardship.

Working together can be more effective than either organisation trying to provide everything.

Holiday Activities Can Be Particularly Valuable

School holidays provide opportunities for community organisations to arrange activities for children and young people.

Young carers could participate alongside other children in:

• Sports sessions
• Creative workshops
• Community days
• Trips
• Cooking activities
• Games
• Youth projects

Activities do not necessarily need to be labelled specifically for young carers.

Inclusive mainstream opportunities can be equally valuable where appropriate.

Businesses Can Sponsor Opportunities

Businesses interested in helping young people can contribute in practical ways.

A company might sponsor:

• Activity places
• Transport
• Meals
• Equipment
• Event costs
• Educational materials

This provides a clear outcome for the business.

Instead of simply making a general charitable donation, employees can understand what their contribution is helping make possible.

Schools Are Important Partners

Schools are often well placed to identify and support young carers.

Government information about support for carers and young carers is available through NHS social care and support guidance.

Community charities can build relationships with schools while respecting safeguarding, confidentiality and the school’s own procedures.

A charity should never expect a school to disclose sensitive information simply because it wants to help.

Support must always be organised appropriately.

Protecting Privacy and Dignity

Young carers should never be used as fundraising stories without appropriate consideration, consent and safeguarding.

A charity does not need to publish intimate details about a child’s family circumstances to explain why support matters.

Campaigns can discuss the issue generally.

Where individual stories are used, they must be handled carefully and appropriately.

Dignity should always come before publicity.

Avoid Making Assumptions

Not every young carer sees their responsibilities negatively.

Family relationships can involve love, pride and a strong desire to help.

The objective should therefore not be to portray young carers as victims.

It should be to recognise that young people with caring responsibilities may sometimes need additional understanding and opportunities.

Listening is more important than assuming.

How The Khaliq Foundation Can Contribute

The Khaliq Foundation provides practical assistance through food, clothing and emergency hampers.

There may be circumstances where families containing young carers also experience financial hardship.

In those situations, practical community support could complement the work of specialist organisations.

The Foundation could also use its platform to increase awareness and signpost families towards recognised sources of assistance.

Community Support Works Best as a Network

No single organisation can meet every need.

A family might receive:

Specialist carers support from one organisation.

Educational support through school.

Practical food assistance from a community charity.

Advice from an appropriate professional service.

Activities through a youth organisation.

Together, those different forms of assistance create a much stronger support network.

Looking Ahead

Young carers make important contributions within their families, often without receiving much public recognition.

Supporting them does not necessarily require creating complicated new services.

Sometimes it means making sure they can participate.

Sometimes it means helping their household.

Sometimes it means connecting them with specialist support.

And sometimes it simply means recognising what they are balancing.

For The Khaliq Foundation, strengthening communities means understanding that every household has its own circumstances.

By working alongside specialist organisations, schools, businesses and families, community charities can help ensure young carers receive something every young person deserves: the opportunity to learn, participate, build friendships and enjoy being young.