Young carers

Who do we help?

Carer SA Young Carer Programs and services support young carers, up to the age of 25 years, who provide care and support for parent, partner, child, sibling, relative or friend who has a disability, is frail aged, or who has a severe mental or physical condition.

Many young carers find it difficult to balance their caring responsibilities with their every day life.  Of the estimated 30,300 young carers in South Australia, Carers SA currently provide direct support to 409 young carers (1.35% of all young carers in SA).  Carers SA provides a range of supports to young carers, including:

• Information and referral support to young carers across South Australia
• Young Carer Support Programs in the Western Metropolitan, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Country, River Murray and Mallee and South East regions
• Young Carers Respite Program in the South and East country region
• Counselling for young carers across South Australia

How can we help?

Our staff are trained to understand the needs of young carers and their families.  All services for young carers are delivered within a family centred approach whereby staff provide support to the young carer and their family.  Staff can help by:

• Listening when you need it and helping you to focus on your own health, wellbeing and needs
• Finding services and supports that will help you manage.  This might include arranging practical support in your home, a planned break from your caring responsibilities, having a chance to speak about things with a counsellor
• Communicating your needs to the people and services, including education, that you need to support you
• Supporting you to meet with other young carers in your area for peer support
•  Arranging short term counselling with a counsellor, convenient to where you live across South Australia

Information and referral support

The state based Young Carer Program team can provide:

• Information and emotional support for young carers in South Australia.  
• Planning and referral assistance to young carers and their families to link with relevant local services (such as Young Carer Support - outlined below)
• Advocacy support for young carers and their families

We can also help parents, teachers, service providers and othr people looking for information about Young Carer Supports and services in South Australia.

Young carer support

The regionally based Young Carer Program team can provide information, referral, and emotional and social support to young carers in the following regions of South Australia:

• Western Metropolitan Adelaide (including the Port Adelaide/Enfield and City of West Torrens)
• Eyre Peninsula (including Port Lincoln, Streaky Bay, Ceduna and Wudinna)
• Northern Country (including Port Augusta, Whyalla and Roxby Downs)
• River Murray and Mallee (including Renmark, Loxton, Lameroo and Murray Bridge)
• South East (including Mount Gambier, Bordertown, Naracoorte, Robe and Millicent)

Who do you contact?

1800 815 549  (free call from a landline and mobile phones will be charged at mobile rates).  

Our staff can assist and connect you with relevant services and programs in your area.

Young carers respite

The Young Carers Respite & Information Program provides support, respite and information services for carers to help them balance their care responsibilities with social participation and the completion of their education.  Following assessment, the information service can provide referrals to appropriate existing community services and respite funding can be used to reduce stress and meet their more immediate and short-term needs.  For example, funding can be used to provide domestic assistance in the home, help to attend social or recreational activities including transport, school holiday breaks, tutoring, skills development, mentoring etc.

This is a national program but auspiced by Carers SA in the South & East country region.

Who do you contact?

1800 052 222  (free call from a landline and mobile phones will be charged at mobile rates).  

Counselling

How does counselling help?
Caring can be rewarding, but it can also be stressful and difficult. Many carers experience complicated feelings related to their role as a Carer. Emotions like anger, depression, anxiety, loneliness, loss and grief are very common.
Your family and friends can provide important support but you may find it helpful to talk with an objective professional who is not emotionally involved with you or the person you are caring for.  Our Carer Counselling Program can link you up with qualified professionals who understand the problems that caring families often face.  Carer counselling is available to carers of any age including young carers.

You can talk to us by yourself or include your partner and other family members.
We can help you:
• Deal with overwhelming and confusing feelings
• Make sense of your experiences as a carer
• Work out your own needs and solve problems
• Manage conflict, stress and other emotional factors that make caring more difficult

Who do you contact?

1800 242 636  (free call from a landline and mobile phones will be charged at mobile rates).

YCP: the Young Carer Project- a survey by the Mental Health Council of Australia

The Mental Health Coucil of Australia is asking 1,000 young carers to take part in their young carer facebook survey. Click on the image to go to the survey on facebook.

The Hoopla's Woman of the Week

Young Carer Ambassador is The Hoopla's Woman of the Week - read her story