Young Carers and Isolation

Last Updated on 17th September 2025

Most children spend their weekends and evenings playing sports, gaming or going out with friends – but for young carers, life can look very different.

The lifestyle of being a carer is often a lonely one and for young carers, any isolation can be tough to cope with. Read our guide below to learn how to spot, support and stand with the young carers in your communities.

What is a Young Carer?

Young carers are children and young people under 18 years old who provide unpaid care to a family member who is disabled, physically or mentally ill, or misuses substances.

Illustration of a young carer for a man in a wheelchair

In the U.K, there are over 1 million young carers, with some being as young as five years old (Action for Children, 2025).

In Northern Ireland, a young carer is defined as someone under the age of 23 years old who provides care for a relative who is sick or disabled.

What Does a Young Carer Do?

Alongside the ‘normal’ day-to-day activities of a young person, like going to school, homework, making and maintaining friendships and taking care of themselves, a young carer may also:

Complete practical tasks such as cooking, cleaning and getting the groceries.
Physically care for the person they are responsible for, such as helping them get out of bed, showering them and getting them dressed.
Provide emotional support, including calming someone down who is distressed.
Care for brothers and sisters.

With this massive amount of responsibility, young carers can feel very isolated, worried and stressed which can impact many parts of their lives, including their education, social life and personal relationships.

23% of young carers found that their caring role had stopped them making friends.

_{(Action for Children, 2025)}

Young Carer looking after her mum in a wheelchair

Isolation and Being a Young Carer

For a young person who is going through the emotional, mental, and physical changes that come with growing up, it is not surprising that many feel overwhelmed, stressed and suffer from anxiety or other mental health problems.

Being a young carer can be socially isolating. Due to the extra time constraints associated with providing care, there could be limitations on how much socialising they are able to participate in. Even if the young person has free time, they may be too physically or emotionally tired.

The isolation is not just about being unable to take part in activities with peers. Missing school, getting behind in schoolwork and/or getting ‘in trouble’ at school can all lead to young people feeling ostracised from the rest of their classmates.

Young carers have double to rate of absence (14.1%) compared to non-young carers (7.7%) (MYTIME Young Carers, 2023).

It’s unfortunately still true that being in any way different can make a young person a target for bullying. A young carer who has a different routine from others, has different priorities and may even act more ‘grown-up’ than their peers could be a potential target for bullying. If a young carer is really struggling, there may also be aspects about their appearance that make them stand out, such as looking tired or personal hygiene issues.

Supporting A Young Carer

Despite struggling, many young carers will not ask for help as they may be embarrassed, or they don’t even view themselves as carers who need additional support – they’re just fulfilling their duty to keep their family unit functioning.

26% of parents say that community leaders such as teachers or club organisers are unaware that their child is a young carer (MYTIME Young Carers, 2025).

You can help by looking out for signs that a pupil or young person you know could be caring for someone and struggling to cope, such as:

Difficulty paying attention and a lack of motivation.
A change in general behaviour.
Showing signs of poor hygiene and/or diet.
Being secretive about their home life.
Low attendance or regular lateness to school, often without explanation.
Falling behind on schoolwork or handing in homework late.
Withdrawn from peers and/or struggling to make or maintain friendships.
Parents or carers not attending parents evening.
Parents or carers are difficult to get in contact with.
Often tired, worried or ‘on edge’.
Frequently missing social events.

Only 46% of teachers think their school provides the support young carers need, while 23% of young carers say they get no support at all (Carers Trust, 2024).

Every young carer’s role as a care provider will be different and consist of different tasks and responsibilities. The level of support they already receive, the level of care they give and how much their own needs are already being met are just a few of the factors that will influence how much, and in what form they need support from others. However, here are just some of the ways in which you can offer your support to a young carer:

Make Time for Open Conversations

Begin a conversation when you have plenty of time and won’t be interrupted. Ask open questions, such as “how is everything at home?”, rather than, “is everything at home okay?”. Allow lots of time for them to answer and avoid prompting or finishing their sentences.

Identify Their Trusted Adults

It is essential that young carers know who to go to when they need support of any kind. Help them identify who their trusted adults are, and explain that they should approach them with a worry of any kind.

Be Understanding

Work around their schedule and be flexible with expectations. For teachers, let them know you’re prepared to be understanding when it comes to deadlines and allow them extra time when needed.

Amend School Policies

Ensure that the anti-bullying policies at your school identifies young carers as a group who are more likely to be a victim of bullying. This will ensure that staff and other members of the school community are informed to identify a potential bullying situation when it occurs. Young carers are less likely to come forward about being a victim of bullying as they do not want to burden their parents, so they are more likely to suffer in silence.

Provide Further Support

Ask if they would like help accessing extra support or signposting to government bodies, charity organisations or local peer support groups.

There are many organisations throughout the UK which provide support for young carers. These services provide them with the chance to unwind and meet others in a similar position. They can learn more about the illness they’re caring for, and, critically, what other support is available for both them and their loved ones.