Too exhausted to learn: the harsh reality facing young carers

For most children and young people, school is a place to learn, build friendships and imagine the future. But for hundreds of thousands of young carers across Australia, simply making it through the school day can feel impossible.

Young carers are children and young people who provide care for a family member living with disability, chronic illness, mental ill-health, addiction or age-related conditions. They are helping administer medication before school, supporting siblings, translating medical information, managing household responsibilities and offering emotional support long before they are old enough to fully understand the weight they are carrying.

At Little Dreamers, Australia's leading organisation supporting young carers, we see firsthand the extraordinary resilience these young people demonstrate every day. But we also see the hidden cost of that responsibility, particularly when it comes to education and school attendance. Australia is currently grappling with a growing school attendance crisis. Recent data shows around 40 per cent of students are missing more than four weeks of school each year. There are many complex reasons behind this trend, but one group consistently overlooked in this conversation is young carers.

For many young carers, missing school is not a choice. It is a necessity.

When a parent is unwell, when a sibling requires constant supervision, or when there is no other adult available to step in, education understandably becomes secondary to survival and family responsibility. Young carers often miss school because they are attending medical appointments, caring for loved ones at home, managing household duties or simply recovering from exhaustion and emotional burnout.

New data from Little Dreamers Australia's Annual Young Carer Survey reveals more than one in three young carers are missing school each week, and over two thirds' (67%) grades are affected by their caring responsibilities and the demands associated with that role².

What makes this particularly concerning is that many young carers remain invisible within our education system. Teachers and schools may see disengagement, lateness or absenteeism without recognising the caregiving responsibilities sitting behind those behaviours. Too often, these young people are misunderstood rather than supported. The consequences can be lifelong.

Frequent absences place young carers at greater risk of falling behind academically, disengaging socially and experiencing poorer mental health outcomes. Missing school also means missing the informal but critical moments of childhood, friendships, extracurricular activities, milestones and the sense of normalcy that every young person deserves.

Many young carers tell us they feel isolated and different from their peers. While other students are worrying about homework or weekend plans, they are worrying about whether their parent is safe at home or whether there will be food on the table. That level of responsibility takes an enormous emotional toll and yet, despite all of this, young carers continue to show remarkable compassion, maturity and strength.

Support programs are letting young carers simply be kids

That is why supporting young carers is not simply an act of kindness, it is an investment in the wellbeing, education and future participation of hundreds of thousands of young Australians.

We need greater awareness across schools and communities so young carers are identified earlier and better supported. We need educators to understand that attendance issues may sometimes reflect caring responsibilities rather than disengagement. We need flexible learning supports, wellbeing programs and practical assistance that allow young carers to remain connected to education while navigating challenges at home.

Most importantly, we need young carers themselves to know they are not alone. At Little Dreamers, we provide programs designed specifically to support young carers with mentoring, tutoring, school holiday activities, wellbeing initiatives and opportunities to simply be kids. For many, it is the first time they meet another young person who truly understands what they are going through.

But the reality is demand for support continues to grow

There are an estimated 391,300 young carers in Australia, many of whom do not identify themselves as carers at all. Some fear stigma. Others believe what they are doing is simply part of family life. Many have spent so long prioritising everyone else's needs that they do not stop to consider their own.

As a society, we often celebrate resilience in young people without questioning why that resilience was necessary in the first place. Young carers should not have to carry adult responsibilities unsupported. They deserve recognition, understanding and practical support that allows them to thrive both at home and at school.

If we are serious about addressing school attendance and student wellbeing in Australia, young carers must be part of the conversation. Because behind many absences is a young person quietly doing everything they can to hold their family together. These children are not disengaged, they are overwhelmed. And with the right support, understanding and investment, we can ensure they do not have to choose between caring for the people they love and building a future for themselves.