Two in three young carers in Australia say caring cost them part of childhood

Nearly two in three young carers in Australia feel that looking after a family member has cost them part of their childhood, according to early results from the Carer Wellbeing Survey run each year by Carers Australia, the national body for unpaid carers. The figures were released under an embargo that lifted at 12.01am on Monday, 12 October 2026, Australian time. The group said 65 per cent of the young carers who answered now report missing out on some of their childhood, up from 54 per cent in its 2025 survey. Most other measures it shared also worsened.

A young carer is someone in their teens or early twenties who regularly looks after a parent, sibling or other relative with an illness, disability, mental health condition or addiction. Much of that work happens at home and goes unseen. Surveys like this one are one of the few ways the pressure becomes visible to schools, employers and governments.

The direction of the numbers is what stands out. A rise of eleven points in a single year in those who feel they have lost part of their childhood, together with a fall in access to peer groups from 30 to 18 per cent, suggests the load is growing while one of the simplest forms of help is shrinking. Peer groups matter because they let young carers talk to people who understand their routine without having to explain it.

Carers Australia chief executive Joanna Cave said the findings show why young carers need more recognition, more support and better chances to take part in education and work. She pointed out that caring can affect a young person's ability to make and keep friends and to attend school or university. The slip in feeling included in decisions about the person they care for is also notable: it suggests many young carers do the work but are left out when doctors, services or families plan the next step.

For readers in India, where looking after a sick parent or grandparent is often simply expected of the young, the survey is a useful reminder that this work has a cost to study, earnings and friendships, and that it is worth naming and sharing rather than carrying alone.

Short-term: The figures add weight to calls from carer groups for formal recognition of carers of all ages, and give schools and universities fresh evidence that some students fall behind for reasons unrelated to ability or effort.

Long-term: If fewer young carers can study and work as they wish, the gap can follow them into adult life through lower qualifications, weaker job histories and smaller social circles. Better peer support, flexible study rules and inclusion in care planning are the measures the results point towards.

Who is affected: Young people who care for a family member, their families, schools, colleges, employers, and the health and disability services that work with the people they look after.

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