It’s important to remember that children of disabled parents are not always young carers.   

Many disabled parents manage their home and family’s needs as well as any other parent. They may even have more time to support their child than non-disabled parents.



But some disabled parents don’t always have enough support to manage their own and their family’s needs. 

A parent may have to depend on a child for basic personal, domestic or emotional support.

The parent may not be able to support their child as well as they'd like to. 



When a child has to look after a parent it can affect the child’s health.

It can stop the child having a normal social life and upsets their education.

It can have a big impact on their lives.

These children are young carers.



All the family should have support to stop parents having to depend on their children, and children having to look after their parent. 






Young Carers Projects can often help to support children and parents. 

The main contact points for Young Carers Projects in Norfolk:

Children’s Services - Social Services Customer Services Centre
0844 800 8014 (24 hours)
Textphone: 0844 800 8011
Or online social care enquiry form.

Christine Comacle-Smith, Senior Project Officer,
Tel/fax: 01379 388952
E-mail: christine.comacle-smith@crossroads.org.uk.

There is more information on young carers projects from

Norfolk Carers www.norfolkcarers.org.uk/youngcarers.htm.

Carers Forum www.carersforum.org.uk/html/young_carers_home.html.

If you are a young carer and want to visit a website just for you, try www.youngcarers.net which is run by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

Disabled parents say a young carer is “ a child or young person who performs time consuming and/or inappropriate tasks and responsibilities which adversely impact on the young person’s physical, emotional, educational or social development.”

The impact of this caring responsibility on young people should be avoided by providing adequate, appropriate and reliable support to the disabled parent and all their family.