Thursday September 09 , 2010
Text Size
   

Newsletter

Global Perspectives on Children's Unpaid Caregiving in the Family

 E-mail

This article provides the first cross-national review and synthesis of available statistical and research evidence from three developed countries, the UK, Australia and the USA, and from sub-Saharan Africa, on children who provide substantial, regular or significant unpaid care to other family members ('young carers/caregivers'). It uses the issue of young carers as a window on the formulation and delivery of social policy in a global context. The article examines the extent of children's informal caregiving in each country; how young carers differ from other children; and how children's caring has been explained in research from both developed and developing countries. The article includes a review of the research, social policy and service developments for young carers in each country. National levels of awareness and policy response are characterized as 'advanced', 'intermediate', 'preliminary' or 'emerging'. Explanations are provided for variations in national policy and practice drawing on themes from the globalization literature. Global opportunities and constraints to progress, particularly in Africa, are identified. The article suggests that children's informal caring roles in both developed and developing nations can be located along a 'caregiving continuum' and that young carers, globally, have much in common irrespective of where they live or how developed are their national welfare systems. There is a need in all countries for young carers to be recognized, identified, analysed and supported as a distinct group of 'vulnerable children'.

 

Young Carers: Useful Reading

 E-mail

Professor Saul Becker: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it



Aldridge, J. (2004) ‘Research informing policy: the case of young carers’, in Becker, S. and Bryman, A. (eds) Understanding Research for Social Policy and Practice, Bristol: The Policy Press, pp. 22-26.

Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (1993) Children Who Care: Inside the World of Young Carers, Loughborough: Young Carers Research Group.

Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (1994) My Child, My Carer: The Parents’ Perspective, Loughborough: Young Carers Research Group.

Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (1999) ‘Children as carers: the impact of parental illness and disability on children’s caring roles’, Journal of Family Therapy, vol 21, no 3, pp. 303-20.

Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (2003) Children Caring for Parents with Mental Illness: Perspectives of Young Carers, Parents and Professionals, Bristol: The Policy Press.

Becker, S. (2000) ‘Young carers’, in Davies, M. (ed.) The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Work, Oxford: Blackwell, p 378.

Becker, S., Aldridge, J. and Dearden, C. (1998) Young Carers and Their Families, Oxford: Blackwell Science.

Bibby, A. and Becker, S. (2000) Young Carers in Their Own Words, London: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Bilsborrow, S. (1992) ‘You Grow  up Fast as Well…’ Young Carers on Merseyside, Liverpool: Carers National Association, Personal Services Society and Barnardos.

Cawson, P. (2002) Child Maltreatment in the Family: The Experiences of a National Sample of Young People, London: NSPCC.

Cawson, P., Wattam, C., Brooker, S. and Kelly, G. (2000) Child Maltreatment in the United Kingdom: A Study of the Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect, London: NSPCC.

Crabtree, H. and Warner, L. (1999) Too Much To Take On: A Report on Young Carers and Bullying, London: The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

Cree, V. (2003a) Under Pressure: A Study of Mental Health Needs of Young Carers, Edinburgh: Edinburgh Young Carers Project.

Cree, V. (2003b) ‘Worries and problems of young carers: issues for mental health’, Child and Family Social Work, vol 8, no 4, pp. 301-309.

Dearden, C. and Becker, S. (1995) Young Carers: The Facts, Sutton: Reed Business Publishing.

Dearden, C. and Becker, S. (1998) Young Carers in the United Kingdom: A Profile, London: Carers National Association.

Dearden, C. and Becker, S. (2000) Growing Up Caring: Vulnerability and Transition to Adulthood - Young Carers’ Experiences, Leicester: Youth Work Press for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Dearden, C. and Becker, S. (2004) Young Carers in the UK: The 2004 Report, London: Carers UK.

Dearden, C. and Becker, S. (2005) ‘Growing up caring: young carers and vulnerability to social exclusion’, in Barry, M. (ed) Youth Policy and Social Inclusion: Critical Debates with Young People, London: Routledge, pp. 251-269.

Elliott, A. (1992) Hidden Children: A Study of Ex-Young Carers of Parents with Mental Health Problems in Leeds, Leeds: City Council Mental Health Development Section.

Frank, J. (2002) Making It Work: Good Practice with Young Cares and Their Families, London:  The Children’s Society and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

Frank, J., Tatum, C. and Tucker, S. (1999) On Small Shoulders: Learning from the Experiences of Former Young Carers, London: The Children’s Society.

Gorin, S. (2004) Understanding What Children Say: Children’s Experiences of Domestic Violence, Parental Substance Misuse and Parental Health Problems, London: National Children’s Bureau for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

HM Government (1999) Caring About Carers – A National Strategy for Carers, London: Department of Health.

HM Government (2003) Every Child Matters (Green Paper, Cm 5860), London: Norwich: HMSO.

Imrie, J. and Coombes, Y. (1995) No Time to Waste: The Scale and Dimensions of the Problem of Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom, Ilford: Barnardos.

Jones, A., Jeyasingham, D. and Rajasooriya, S. (2002) Invisible Families: The Strengths and Needs of Black Families in which Young People have Caring Responsibilities, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Keith, L. and Morris, J. (1995) ‘Easy targets: a disability rights perspective on the “children as carers” debate’, Critical Social Policy, no 44/45, pp 36-57.

Landells, S. and Pritlove, J. (1994) Young Carers of a Parent with Schizophrenia: A Leeds Survey, Leeds: City Council, Department of Social Services.

Lewis, E. (2001) Afraid To Say: The Needs and Views of Young People Living With HIV/AIDS, London: National Children’s Bureau.

Marsden, R. (1995) Young Carers and Education, London: Borough of Enfield Education Department.

Newman, T. (2002) ‘“Young carers” and disabled parents: time for a change of direction?’, Disability and Society, vol 17, no 6, pp. 613-625.

Olsen, R. and Parker, G. (1997) ‘A response to Aldridge and Becker – “Disability rights and the denial of young carers: the dangers of zero-sum arguments”’, Critical Social Policy, no 50, pp 125-33.

Robson, E. and Ansell, N. (2000) ‘Young carers in Southern Africa’, in Holloway, S. L. and Valentine, G. (eds) Children’s Geographies: Playing, Living, Learning, London: Routledge, pp. 174-193.

Roche, J. and Tucker, S. (2003) ‘Extending the social exclusion debate: an exploration of the family lives of young carers and young people with ME’, Childhood, vol 10, no 4, pp. 439-456.

SCARE (2005) ‘The health and well-being of young carers’, [online] eLSC. Available from: http://www.elsc.org.uk/briefings.

Segal, J. and Simkins, J. (1993) My Mum Needs Me: Helping Children with Ill or Disabled Parents, Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Shah, R. and Hatton, C. (1999) Caring Alone: Young Carers in South Asian Communities, Illford: Barnardos.

The Education Network (TEN) (2005) Young Carers, London: TEN. [ring 020 7554 2800 to order]

Thomas, N., Stainton, T., Jackson, S., Cheung, W.Y., Doubtfire, S. and Webb, A. (2003) ‘“Your friends don’t understand”: Invisibility and unmet need in the lives of “young carers”’, Child and Family Social Work, vol 8, no 1, pp. 35-46.

Tunnard, J. (2004) Parental Mental Health Problems: Messages from Research, Policy and Practice, Dartington: Research into Practice.

Walker, A. (1996) Young Carers and their Families, London: The Stationery Office.

Wates, M. (2002) Supporting Disabled Adults in their Parenting Role, York: York Publishing Services.

 
   
«
<
September 2010
>
»
S M T W T F S
29 30 31 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 1 2

If you are caring for someone, you are not alone!

We welcome your call and hearing your comments!
American Association of Caregiving Youth
1515 N. Federal Hwy. Suite 214
Boca Raton, FL 33432

Phone: 561-391-7401
Toll-Free: 800-725-2512
Fax: 561-416-7213

 Thank You Breakfast Sponsors:

Stratis Business Systems

Rosemary & Benjamin Krieger

Call 4 Health

1st United Bank

UserSight Corporation

Vitas Innovative Hospice Care

Upcoming Events

View Full Calendar
Tue Sep 14 @10:00AM - 02:00PM
FAU Volunteer Fair
Thu Sep 23 @06:00PM - 07:00PM
Milk Party Rally

Created by: Current Marketing Group