Carer Gateway - Young Carers

If you are aged 25 or under and care for someone, you may be a young carer.

1800 422 737 Carer Gateway website Referral Form

Carer Gateway helps young carers

Are you one of Australia’s 235,000 young carers?

You may not see yourself as a young carer, but if you are aged 25 or under and look after a loved one or friend with disability, medical condition, mental illness or who is frail due to age – then yes, you are a young carer.

Being a young carer means sometimes you’re likely to need a little care too. Carer Gateway may be able to help.

Supports for young carers

Support while studying

If you are student at school, university, or other training centre, you may be able to get support to help you combine studying and caring. We may also be able assist with accessing educational resources.

Young Carer Peer Support Groups

You may feel socially isolated and more stressed than your peers, due to the commitments of caring. Young Carer Peer Support Groups provide an opportunity to ask questions, share stories and learn from each other in a safe space. Depending on what suits you, there are face-to-face and online options.

Respite

It’s OK to take a break and have time for yourself. Respite care means someone else looks after the person you care for while you have a break. You can plan respite or get respite care in an emergency.

Carer Coaching Services

Support for young carers over 18 years to reflect on how things are going, how you’d like things to be, and steps to get there. You can meet with a trained carer coach to explore areas of your life where you’d like things to change, or you can access online self-guided coaching sessions via the Carer Gateway website.

Counselling

If you’re a young carer and feel stressed, anxious, sad, or frustrated, a professional counsellor can talk to you about your worries and offer help. Carer Gateway offers in person and phone counselling services. By answering a couple of questions when you call, we can provide information on services that best suit your needs.

Young Carer Camps

Being a young carer may sometimes mean you miss out on the social activities that other young people take for granted. Camps for young carers offer you a chance to have a break, refresh and meet with other young people in similar situations – and join in some really FUN activities!

How Carer Gateway works

Carer Gateway is a free service for carers of all ages. There are many supports available to help you in your young caring role including help and advice, counselling, support to get and manage carer payments, planning for the future and more.

We also offer fun activities for young carers, like camps, social outings and after school activities.

How to register with Carer Gateway

Visit the Carer Gateway website to see what services might help you.
Call 1800 422 737 to register (Mon – Fri, 8am – 5pm).
Start accessing our support and services to assist you in your young carer role.

It only takes 5 minutes to register to get help through our Carer Gateway services. Our friendly and experienced staff are ready to take your call and listen to what your needs are.

Young carer support from other networks

Many other organisations also offer support for young carers. You may find the below networks helpful:

Carer Gateway is an Australian Government program providing free services and support for carers. Carer Gateway aims to provide the same level of support and services to all carers across Australia no matter where they live.