一般社団法人ヤングケアラー協会 | Young Carers Association

For Professionals &
Community Members

In welfare, education, and healthcare settings —
or simply in everyday community life —
there may be more opportunities than you expect to notice children and young people caring for their families.

Yet we often hear from supporters who wrestle with the question:
"They seem to be struggling with family matters,
but is it my place to get involved?"

Under welfare systems divided by field — elderly care, disability, child and family, poverty —
young carers have long slipped through the gaps of the support net.

Supporting young carers now requires layered, cross-disciplinary collaboration.

What young carers and
young adult carers face

Young carers are children who routinely take on housework and family care that would normally be handled by adults.
The weight of that responsibility can affect their schooling, friendships, and life choices.

For family members with illnesses or disabilities

What Young Carers Do Every Day

Providing emotional support (listening, being a companion)

Providing physical care (nursing, supervision, help with toileting)

Providing social care (acting as a go-between with adults, handling administrative procedures)

Providing medical care (managing medication, accompanying to hospital)

Helping with communication, such as interpreting or sign language

Working to help support the household finances

Doing housework such as shopping, cooking, and laundry

Due to the weight of responsibility

What Young Carers Give Up

Securing study time, taking exams, or pursuing further education

Participating in club activities and other extracurriculars

Being understood and cared for by adults

Things that become more likely as they get older

National surveys suggest that as many as 1 in 17 students, from elementary school through university, may be a young carer — they are far from rare.
But the younger the carer, the harder it is for them to recognize their own situation and the care they provide objectively.
Rather than waiting for children to speak up, it is essential that adults notice and reach out first.

Share of students (elementary to university)
caring for family members

* Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare national survey

Carers in their 20s and 30s

* METI estimate of working carers

Factors behind the difficulties
young carers face

Behind a child or young person taking on care, multiple factors are often intertwined in complex ways.

Employment issues

Parental unemployment, unstable employment, or parents absent due to long working hours
Illness and disability

Family illness or disability, mental health challenges (including addiction and suicide attempts)
Care environment issues

Abuse and neglect, domestic violence, a family member's imprisonment
Unstable family relationships

Separation from a parent, skewed power balances within the family, absence of relatives to rely on
Family-centered values

The belief that family problems should be solved within the family

Key points when
supporting young carers

Rushing in without care can put families on their guard and close the door to support.
Keep the points below in mind, and engage in a way that respects the feelings of the young carer and their family.

01.

Assess the whole family

Traditional welfare practice has typically assessed only the person who needs care and built the support plan around them. Today there is a growing need for assessment and planning that also considers the family members who provide care — especially children and young people — and takes the whole family's situation and needs into account.

02.

Respect the young carer's parents and family

Some parents and families actively want support, while others decline it even when professionals judge it necessary.
Children who are young carers may also hesitate to seek help for fear that their family will be blamed.
Rather than imposing solutions from a helper's point of view, listen to what young carers and their families themselves want. On that basis, providing information that supports the child's growth and development is essential.

03.

Maintain ongoing contact

Caring rarely has a clear end point.
Even when welfare services are in place and things appear settled, circumstances change over time, and issues can resurface when a young carer moves on to higher education, employment, or marriage.
Nor does the end of a long caring role — through residential care, bereavement, or leaving home — necessarily free someone from every burden; many children and young people continue to find life difficult afterward.
Understand the diversity of young carers' situations and maintain ongoing contact so you can notice changes as their lives move through different stages.

For more detail on these points, see the young carer support manuals published by the national government and local governments (Japanese).

Why not consult a
Young Carer Coordinator?

Young Carer Coordinators are professionals who support young carers and their families.
Their main role is to understand the challenges a young carer is facing and coordinate appropriate support for the young carer and their family.

If you come across a child or young person who you suspect may be a young carer,
please consult the Young Carer Coordinator in your area.

See the list of Young Carer
Coordinators (Japanese)

If there is no Young Carer Coordinator in your area, please contact the relevant department of your local government.

Local government contacts (Japanese)

Small steps, taken together, become a big one.