Instead of enjoying carefree childhoods, nearly a quarter of a million children, some as young as five years old, are coping with the stress and responsibility of caring for close family members. Personal physical development, emotional health, time to play and socialise, education and future job prospects can all be adversely affected by their caring role.
New census statistics reveal there are 166,363 young carers in England. This is up by a fifth from the last figures in 2001, although The Children's Society warns it could be 'the tip of the iceberg' with many young carers remaining under the radar. The average age of a young carer is commonly accepted to be 12 years old but the number of five to seven-year-olds caring for parents, siblings and family has increased in the past decade by around 80 per cent to 9,371.
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