Carers Trust reacts to figures showing persistent absence rate for young carers is nearly twice as high as for their peers

Reacting to figures showing young carers are nearly twice as likely to miss at least 10% of school as their peers, Carers Trust’s Policy and Practice Manager, Andy McGowan, said:

“These figures should ring alarm bells in government, showing all too starkly how being a young carer can have a devastating impact on children’s education and future prospects. Young carers have a persistent absence rate of 39% - almost twice as high as their peers. On average they miss 23 days of school per year, far more than those without a caring role. This lays bare the glaring inequality in the life opportunities for young carers compared to their classmates.

“There are one million young carers in the UK – that’s two in every classroom - including at least 15,000 children caring for over 50 hours each week. By selflessly looking after loved ones they’re saving the state millions in social care costs and deserve targeted support. That’s why it’s essential that the Government requires every school to have a young carer lead and policy in place. A cross-government national carers strategy is also desperately required, along with funding, to ensure these young people and their families get the help they need.”

Carers Trust have produced an insights briefing summarising the main findings as well as the evidence from other studies relating to young carers and education. This can be accessed here.