Young carers and young adult carers in Upper Austria

FINDINGS

Based on different surveys (Nagl-Cupal et al. 2015, UK Longitudinal Household Study, European Social Survey), it can be assumed that the number of young carers and young adult carers between the ages of 16 and 29 in Upper Austria was was between 21.662 and 44.791 individuals in 2022. Young carers and young adult carers felt left alone in several respects: with the care and support situation, through a lack of recognition of their role, and with their own needs independently of their caring role. The study described three good practices in more detail (carer passport, young carer bursay, flexibility in learning conditions). 

Support measures can be distinguished into two categories: those which address young carers and young adult carers as a group (e.g. measures that support identification, sensitisation and awareness raising) and those which support them individually (counselling and psychological support, care skills training, financial support). Regarding support measures in the field of vocational orientation, training and education, schools have a key role (awareness raising, dealing with the impact of caregiving on educational achievements, vocational counselling). Existing measures include educational resources and educators to raise awareness and training for different professions working with children and adolescents. There are currently no measures to support young carers and young adult carers individually specifically regarding vocational orientation, training and education in Upper Austria.  

The study included several recommendations for policymakers:

• Expansion of professional services for care and support: Caring children, adolescents and young adults are often overwhelmed because they do not know about professional services, these are not accessible for other reasons, or not available. Expand psychosocial services and promote peer exchange between young (adult) carers Measures should, on the one hand, support the reduction of the caring role, but on the other hand, enable it. 
• Improving the data throughout Austria: More research on young (adult) carers in Austria would create a basis for better understanding the phenomenon and its impact on different areas of life and on young people's biographies.
• Political and administrative institutionalisation: Responsibilities for general awareness raising, identification and support of young (adult) carers should be integrated into existing and newly created structures.
• Offers of counselling and guidance: Support offers should be available throughout the country, consistently and for different age groups. In the field of education and training, school social work and youth coaching as well as own offers in vocational training could deal with the topic of young caring in a situation-specific way.
• Involving young (adult) carers and other key stakeholders: Support measures should be developed with the involvement of young (adult) carers themselves and across different policy fields such as youth, care, education and labour market.
• Valuing young (adult) carers: Unpaid care work contributes to maintaining social and economic cohesion. However, it often imposes burdens on individuals that require solidarity-based support. Young (adult) carers are in a similar situation to other carers – but they are less able to get help or set their own boundaries. At the same time, taking on the role of carer can have long-term consequences for training, education and employment, which is why young (adult) carers need special appreciation and support.