Young Carers Action Day 2026

Wednesday 11th March 2026 marks Young Carers Action Day, a national day dedicated to raising awareness of the challenges faced by the estimated 120,000 Young Carers across the UK.  

Young Carers can face an array of additional challenges as a result of their role, often impacting their own education, wellbeing and childhood.  

Young Carers Action Day shines a light on these challenges, highlighting how through signposting, support and community, we can help Young Carers live their childhood too.  

Fair Futures for Young Carers

This year’s theme is “Fair Futures for Young Carers.” The campaign focuses on ensuring that young people with caring responsibilities have the same opportunities as their peers to learn, grow, and achieve their ambitions. 

Research from Carers First highlights the scale of the challenge: 

  • Only 45% of Young Carers leave secondary school with five GCSEs including English and Maths 
  • Just 49% meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of primary school 

These figures highlight how caring responsibilities can create barriers that affect not only a young person’s current wellbeing but also their future opportunities and life outcomes. 

At Forward Carers, we see first-hand the realities of this.  

We recently supported a 14-year-old girl who had become the primary Carer in her household after her mother left the family home. 

She was caring for her father, who has learning difficulties, a physical disability, and ongoing mental health challenges, as well as her younger brother, aged eight. 

With no other adult in the home, she had taken on responsibilities far beyond what most children experience. Her role included: 

  1. Supporting her father with bathing, toileting and getting out of bed 
  2. Cooking meals for the household 
  3. Helping her younger brother get to school and supporting him with homework 
  4. Leaving school during the day to check on and support her father 

This level of responsibility meant she had very little time to focus on her own education, friendships, and wellbeing. 

Sadly, this situation is not unique. Many Young Carers are managing similar responsibilities every day. 

With the right support, recognition, and access to services, Young Carers like her can be supported to reduce the weight of these responsibilities and focus on their own wellbeing, education, and future aspirations. 

In this example, our Young Carers Service were able to offer practical and community-based opportunities. This included providing food vouchers to help with immediate financial pressures, as well as inviting the children to attend local youth clubs and organised trips to encourage social interaction, confidence building, and respite from caring responsibilities.  

In addition, the family were signposted to Early Help services and Social Services so they could access further guidance, coordinated support, and longer-term assistance where needed. 

However, thousands of Young Carers across the UK are still facing similar situations without the support they need. Young Carers Action Day is an opportunity to shine a light on these hidden challenges and drive change. 

Our Commitment to Young Carers 

At Forward Carers, we are committed to ensuring that Young Carers are recognised, supported, and given the opportunities they deserve. 

Our mission is to build Carer Friendly Communities, where unpaid Carers of all ages are valued and supported to maintain their own wellbeing alongside their caring role. 

Every Young Carer deserves the chance to learn, grow, and enjoy their childhood. By working together as communities, partners, and services, we can help create fairer futures for Young Carers everywhere. 

Click HERE to find out more about Young Carers Action Day 2026!