Supporting young carers in schools: shaping systems for change
Team: Professor Andrea Reupert, Professor Kim Foster, Professor Darryl Maybery, Dr Lingling Chen
Young carers, defined here as children and adolescents who provide support to a family member with mental illness, or substance-use challenges, often navigate responsibilities far beyond what is typical for their age. Yet, despite the essential role they play within their families, many remain unseen within school systems. Our current program of research seeks to shed light on their experiences, needs, and the ways in which schools can better recognise and support them. Through a series of interconnected studies, the project aims to deepen our understanding of how caregiving impacts young people’s wellbeing, academic engagement, and sense of belonging at school.
One stream of the project involves gathering first-hand accounts from young carers themselves. Their voices are central: they tell us what it feels like to balance homework with dealing with their caring responsible, how stigma around mental illness and substance misuse shapes their willingness to seek help, and what they need from teachers, peers, and school systems. These narratives highlight patterns of exhaustion, isolation, and worry, but also resilience, compassion, and a strong desire for schools to be places of safety and understanding. Capturing these lived experiences allows us to identify practical, school-based supports that can make a difference.
Alongside this qualitative work, we are conducting a series of systematic reviews to map what is currently known. Different reviews have been conducted to examine the prevalence of young carers in school settings and the impacts of caring on school engagement and academic achievement. Despite growing international recognition of young carers as a vulnerable group, the research base remains inconsistent. By bringing this evidence together, we aim to build a clear picture of how widespread caregiving is among school-aged children, the impact of caring on school engagement and academic outcomes, and where the biggest gaps in knowledge lie.
Ultimately, this project seeks to move beyond simply describing the challenges young carers face. The goal is to shape systems, policies, and school cultures that actively promote belonging and recognition for young carers. When schools better understand the invisible labour these students carry, they are better equipped to respond with empathy, flexibility, and meaningful support that acknowledges both young carer’s vulnerabilities but also strengths. As the research unfolds, we aim to amplify young carers’ perspectives, inform educational practice, and contribute to social change that makes their lives, and learning, fairer and better supported.
