Seventeen-year-old Ava-Grace Britton is studying acting at college in north London. She enjoys socialising with friends and dreams of attending university next year. But unlike many of her peers, she also has a significant responsibility: caring for her father, Paul, who has been living with severe mobility and memory challenges since a series of strokes eight years ago.
Alongside her mother, Karen, Ava-Grace helps monitor Paul’s blood sugar levels, administers his medication, and assists with meals and household chores. Her days are carefully scheduled around his needs.
“I worry about him all the time,” Ava-Grace shared. “Before I go to college, I help him, and most days I have to rush home to look after him.”
Her story is far from unique. According to official census data, there are around 130,000 carers under 18 in England and Wales. However, experts believe the real number is much higher, as many young carers remain hidden from view. The Carers Trust estimates that as many as 1 million children and young people under 18 are carers, with an additional 500,000 aged 18 to 25.
For some, the caring load is immense—amounting to more than 50 hours a week—and it takes a heavy toll on their social lives, education, and future prospects.
‘Life Upside Down’
Paul’s health crisis began after he contracted sepsis from a minor cut at work. The infection triggered multiple strokes and left him with diabetes that requires constant attention. His condition deteriorated so significantly that he had to give up his job as a borehole engineer. Now, Ava-Grace and Karen provide round-the-clock care. Karen also runs a charity that organises lunch clubs for the elderly and vulnerable.
“It turned our life upside down,” Karen recalled. “Paul spent three months in hospital and then in rehab. I don’t know how I would cope without Ava-Grace.”
Ava-Grace acknowledges that her caring role has demanded many trade-offs over the years.
“You have to make sacrifices. I can’t do all the things my friends do,” she said. “At one point, I was really enjoying dance and could have started competing, but it would have been a huge time commitment that just wasn’t possible.”
Her education has also been affected. She had to change schools several times after being bullied and struggling with attendance due to her caring duties and her own epilepsy, which she manages alongside everything else.
“I worry about the future,” she admitted. “I really want to go to university, but I can’t imagine going anywhere too far from home. I know my dad needs me.”
The Hidden Burden on Young Carers
More than half of young carers, like Ava-Grace, provide support to a parent. The rest look after siblings or grandparents. The Carers Trust reports a significant rise in non-parent carers in recent years, largely due to the cost-of-living crisis. As parents are forced to prioritise work, children often step in to care for other family members.
This added responsibility can make socialising and hobbies difficult, and it often leads to higher rates of bullying, school absence, and even suspensions. The educational impact is stark: young carers are 25% less likely to achieve five GCSE passes including English and Maths compared to their peers, according to Department for Education data. Consequently, they are twice as likely to be out of education, employment, or training for two years or more.
Support for Carers: Is It Enough?
Some support exists. Young carers are entitled to an assessment from their local council to evaluate the impact of their caring role on their health, education, and wellbeing.
“When young carers get these assessments, it can make a real difference,” said Andy McGowan, the lead on young carers at the Carers Trust. “But it takes many years of caring before they are actually identified. And then the support in place is patchy—it really depends on where you live.”
McGowan, who was a young carer himself, knows the challenges firsthand. He explains that even when help is provided—such as respite breaks, peer support, or counselling—the underlying issue of the caring demands themselves is often left unaddressed.
“The threshold to get adult social care from councils to relieve the caring burden is so high that many don’t get help,” he said. “Until that is addressed, the inequalities young carers face will not be tackled.”
He also believes the NHS could do more, particularly in providing preventative and early support for issues like substance misuse and mental health, which are often contributing factors to the caring responsibilities young people take on.
“Often young carers are left to fight their own battles for too long—and so school and their own health come second,” he added.
In July, the government published an action plan for unpaid carers, which included measures specifically aimed at supporting young carers, such as improved help in schools and better joined-up support between the NHS, social care, and education. Other parts of the UK have their own policies; for example, Scotland offers a dedicated young carers’ grant.
A government spokesperson told the BBC: “Through our new national care service, this government is determined to build a system that recognises the extraordinary contribution of unpaid carers, supports them better and, in particular, helps young carers.”
For families like the Brittons, more help cannot come soon enough.
“I worry about the impact caring has on Ava-Grace,” Karen said. “She has had to grow up very quickly—that has had benefits, she is calmer and more mature than many girls her age, and she has a real strength about her. But Ava-Grace and others like her need more help and understanding.”