Research

Young Carers at School

Research has shown that young carers often value their time at school as it can offer them a break from their caring responsibilities at home.

School is a place where young carers can connect with other young people and it can also be a source for support and information about services that relate to them.

There are a number of trends concerning the impact caring might have on a young person at school:

  • Many young carers have reported that their role as a carer negatively impacts on their education.
  • Young carers have a lower rate of attendance and are more likely to drop out of school due to their caring responsibilities at home.
  • Young carers often find it difficult explaining their caring situation to teachers and peers for fear of adverse reactions.
  • Many teachers in Western Australia do not know what a young carer is and wouldn't know how to identify one in their classroom.

Reports relating to Young Carers

Below are a number of research articles which relate to young carers.

Reading, Writing & Responsibility: Young Carers & Education
Tim Moore, Ros Morrow, Morag McArthur, Debbie Noble-Carr, Jamie Gray
Institute of Child Protection Studies (ACU National) for Carers Australia
Funded by the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs; April 2006
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Hopping off the Roundabout: Supporting Young Carers in Western Australia
Tim Moore and Ros Morrow for Carers WA; 2007
PDF Document

The Nature and Impact of Caring for Family Members with a Disability in Australia
Ben Edwards, Daryl J. Higgins, Matthew Gray, Norbert Zmijewski, Marcia Kingston; Australian Institute of Family Studies; April 2009
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Bring it! Young Carers Forum 2008 Final Report
Carers Australia; June 2009
PDF Document

Who Cares...? Report on the inquiry into better support for carers
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Housing, Community and Youth; May 2009
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Supporting Young Carers in Secondary Schools
Carers Australia
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Stop to Listen: Findings from the ACT Young Carers Research Project
Tim Moore; Youth Coalition of the ACT; April 2005
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