From Assistance to Prevention: Categorizing Young Carer Support Services in Australia, and International Implications

Abstract

Young people who provide unpaid care for a relative with chronic illness or disability are a growing focus of public policy and research in Australia and internationally. Support services for these young carers have emerged, but not enough is known about their effectiveness. This article develops an analytical framework that categorizes young carer support services according to their goals and the types of intervention provided. The analytical framework is based on Australian data. It is applied to young carer support services available in Australia but may be applicable to other countries. The aim of the framework is to provide a structure for assessing the effectiveness of current services in supporting young carers by clarifying service goals and identifying gaps in existing service provision. The framework contributes to conceptual discussions about young carer supports, and it can be used to guide future policy development. The article draws on Australian and international literature as well as findings from a recent Australian study on young carers. The proposed framework groups young carer support services according to three overarching goals: assisting young people who provide care; mitigating the care-giving responsibility; and preventing the entrenchment of a young person's caring role. The framework is applied to an audit of Australian support services for young carers, illustrating how it can be used to assess existing supports for young carers and inform future policy development. The findings suggest that most services in Australia fall into the categories of assistance and mitigation, while few contain preventative elements.

Young Carers Research, Practice and Policy: An Overview and Critical Perspective on Possible Future Directions

“…Recognizing this, policy targets can be more nuanced and responsive to the needs in families. In terms of policy and service goals, the implication would be to focus on prevention, assistance, and mitigation, respectively, as discussed by Purcal et al (2012) in their analytical framework.…”

Being we and being me: Exploring the needs of Austrian families with caring children

“…The second aspect of the findings, the need for individual developmental space, refers to individuals’ need for temporary respite from caring responsibilities and time to act as an individual person. Many studies have highlighted the importance of responding to these needs (Moore & McArthur, ; Nigel et al., ; Purcal, Hamilton, Thomson, & Cass, ; Stamatopoulos, ; Watson, ). However, it is often difficult for children to ensure their own developmental spaces.…”

“…Many studies have highlighted the importance of responding to these needs (Moore & McArthur, 2007;Nigel et al, 2003;Purcal, Hamilton, Thomson, & Cass, 2012;Stamatopoulos, 2015b;Watson, 1999). However, it is often difficult for children to ensure their own developmental spaces.…”

“…Programmes that approach support from the family perspective are crucial, however, as they place more emphasis on preventive aspects rather than direct support or relief for young carers. According to Purcal et al (2012), prevention aims to avoid the entrenchment of children's caring role or, if the role is already established, to help young carers achieve a level of caring that is not associated with negative effects. Our findings support Purcal and her colleague's notion that preventive services are a combination of formal and informal support tailored individually to each family that reflect the needs of all family members (Purcal et al, 2012).…”

Psychosocial resources contributing to resilience in Austrian young carers—A study using photo novella

“…Young carers may share and discuss everyday sorrows more freely with others than their specific problems as young carers, which peers without the same life experiences may not easily relate to (Cluver et al, 2012;Moore et al, 2006). Participating in more specific programs provided by healthcare or social organizations (e.g., supervised vacations or clubs), designed either for young carers or children growing up in any kind of precarious circumstances, may F I G U R E 4 Finding, sharing, and enjoying common interests and activities with the ill/disabled family member thus be especially important to them (Black & Lobo, 2008;King et al, 2009;Masten & Coatsworth, 1998;Purcal et al, 2012;Ungar et al, 2005). Apart from intended therapeutic effects, such as strengthening the children's resilience (Cunningham et al, 2016) & Schout, 2013;Schout et al, 2017), as well as strong family bonds facilitated by family routines, rituals, and shared time, in addition to recreation (Black & Lobo, 2008), all of which were frequently illustrated in this study.…”