Young carers
1 2
There are over 175,000 young people in the UK caring for someone with a physical or learning disability, illness or substance dependency.
Caring is classed as everything from intensive support through to more simple tasks such as communicating for deaf relatives.
Caring amounts, in effect, to a role reversal - young carers have to grow up and learn responsibility far more quickly. Many young people become carers for several years and some will be committed to caring for many years. This can bring feelings of intense isolation in the carer.
1 2
