Sixteen-year-old Madeline from Bridgend describes feeling burnt out as a young carer

Daily tasks and social isolation

The teenager helps her mother wake up and ensures both parents take their medication each morning. She also cooks meals for the family members and handles cleaning duties regardless of the specific household job required. Madeline admits that friends who are not young carers often do not understand her situation. Consequently, she cannot always go out when they want or stay out until a certain time. This restriction leads to her feeling pushed aside and forgotten by her own peer group.

Support networks and future goals

She was referred to the Bridgend Carers Centre at age eight, which is partly funded by Children in Need. Without this respite care and school support, she states she could not cope with her responsibilities. The centre allows her to socialise with others who understand what she goes through daily. She will soon sing in the annual Children in Need choir alongside young people from across the UK. Her mother Rebecca says the group has opened her daughter's whole life up and built confidence.

National numbers and government plans

Among the roughly 170,000 young carers in the UK between the ages of five and seventeen is Madeline. The Carers Trust calls this number the tip of the iceberg regarding the true scale of the issue. Wales has 8,200 such individuals while England had about 120,000 and Scotland had 42,000 according to the 2021 census. The Welsh government noted its latest strategy expected this month focuses particularly on young carers. Madeline hopes to become a paediatric doctor one day despite her current heavy workload.