International young carers conference 2026

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Two days of ideas, exchange and action

21–22 October 2026 · Berlin

Explore the programme of the 5th International Young Carers Conference.

Over two days, the IYCC 2026 brings together researchers, practitioners, policy makers, young carers and people with lived experience from around the world. The programme combines plenary sessions, presentations, workshops, posters and opportunities for exchange.

Choose a day
Switch between Wednesday and Thursday using the buttons below.

Explore the sessions
Several sessions run in parallel. Open a session to see the individual presentations.

Discover more
Select “Read more” for presentation details and information about the speakers.

Program

Select a conference day to explore the program. The program is subject to minor changes.

09:30

–

10:00
Registration and coffee

10:00

–

11:00
Guided Poster Walk

11:00

–

12:15
Opening plenary
Including a keynote by Prof. Saul Becker (UK)

12:15

–

13:15
Lunch

13:15

–

14:45
Presentation Sessions 1
Choose one of these parallel presentations sessions.
Action
Strengthening Young Carer Support: From Standards to Everyday Practice
Room
Chair

Minimum Support Standards for Young Carers: From Recognition to Action
Miriam Hurtado Monarres & Emilia Olving
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences

|

Slovenia
About this presentation
The OUR VOICES project presents research-informed ‘Minimum Support Standards for Young Carers and Child Participation’, developed through a literature review and cross-country analysis in five European contexts and at EU level. The framework addresses gaps in recognition, organisational support and meaningful participation, offering practical guidance for sustainable policy, service design and professional practice.

Key takeaway

Discover an adaptable framework for recognising young carers, creating supportive organisational conditions, and ensuring their meaningful participation in policy and practice.

About the presenter

Miriam Hurtado Monarres is a researcher and PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences. Her work focuses on informal and formal care, young carers, mental wellbeing, gerontology, and social policy.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-hurtado-monarres?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

Getting the right support in place for young carers and their families: the role of assessment and support planning
Nic Brimblecombe
London School of Economics and Poltical Science

|

UK
About this presentation
This presentation shares the findings from our longitudinal qualitative study with young carers and the adults they care for examining what makes assessments and support plans work for young carers and families. It identifies three main themes in what works well: ‘breaking down barriers’; ‘context aware and context responsive’; and ‘whole family aware and proactive’.

Key takeaway

Hear more about the views of young carers and the people they care for about what works well in assessment and support planning to help better meet young carers’ and their families’ needs.

About the presenter

Dr Nicola Brimblecombe is Associate Professorial Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She conducts mixed-methods research about young and other-aged carers, and unmet need, inequalities in care, and the wider context of care need and care provision.
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/nicola-brimblecombe-46b98a24

Training professionals to the use of evaluation tools with Young Carers: facilitators and barriers in practice
Christe VIOULAC
Université Paris Cité

|

France
About this presentation
Professionals from organizations supporting YCs were trained to use a toolkit to evaluate the situation of YCs encountered in their practice. Seventeen participated in focus groups to assess factors that facilitate the implementation of the specified tools design for the evaluation of the situations of YCs, as well as the barriers to their use in practice.

Key takeaway

Understand the facilitators and barriers to the use of evaluation tools with YCs in practice trough the experience of professionals

About the presenter

Psychologist, PhD in psychology. Works as a clinical psychologist at a hospital in somatic field and researcher within the JAID program from Université Paris Cité in association with the NGO Association Nationale JADE.
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“I wouldn’t have made it without them”: Capabilities of young carers in the family narratives.
Linda Koshi
Masaryk University, Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Social Policy and Social Work,

|

Czech Republic
About this presentation
This presentation examines the impact of family narratives on the capabilities of young caregivers in the Czech Republic. Drawing on qualitative interviews conducted with two generations—young secondary caregivers and primary caregiver parents—it reveals differing perspectives on caregiving and their implications for young caregivers’ opportunities, age-appropriate development, and recognition within familial care contexts.

Key takeaway

Learn how family narratives shape young carers’ opportunities, recognition, and development. Discover why identifying young carers requires looking beyond caregiving tasks to the meanings families attach to care.

About the presenter

Linda is a PhD candidate in Social Work at Masaryk University in Brno. Her research examines intergenerational care, with a particular focus on young family caregivers. Being a caregiver herself, she also draws on personal experience to better understand and support caregiving families.
www.linkedin.com/in/linda-koshi-3832aa398
Recognition
Supporting Children of Parents with Mental Illness

Kidstime workshops: the evaluation of a multi-family intervention for children of parents with mental illness
Esther Strittmatter (1) and Klaus Henner Spierling (2)
1: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University; 2: Social Paediatric Center, Agaplesion Diakonie Hospital, Rotenburg

|

Germany
About this presentation
Kidstime workshops (KW) are conceptualized as low-threshold intervention for children of parents with mental illness. The implementation and evaluation of KW show that they have preventive and therapeutic potential for the whole family. Furthermore KW can be more effective at improving capabilities, with better resource benefit ratio compared with nationwide data of general child support interventions.

Key takeaway

Learn about the concept of Kidstime Workshops and about the evaluation that was funded by the German Ministry of Health

About the presenter

1: Specialist in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy for Children, Adolescents, Adults, and Families 2: Certified Psychologist and Systemic Therapist
Esther Strittmatter

“Invisible Responsibilities: Educational Trajectories and Sibling Dynamics among Young Carers with Two Parents Experiencing Mental Illness
Tonina Liriel Aurel
University of Vienna

|

Austria
About this presentation
Drawing on biographical-narrative interviews with eleven adults from four families where both parents had severe, often comorbid mental illness, this talk examines how sibling-negotiated caregiving shapes childhoods, educational trajectories, and relationships. Findings highlight gendered parentification, normalised care, shifting responsibilities, constrained opportunities, and education pursued as self-protection and empowerment rather than solely economic mobility.

Key takeaway

This talk raises awareness of young carers’ lived realities and the impact on schooling and sibling ties. Participants will gain clear indicators to identify hidden carers and inform targeted educational support.

About the presenter

Dr Tonina Liriel Aurel, BA, MA, MA, is a University Assistant in Empirical Education at the University of Vienna. Her research focuses on families, childhoods, diversity, and educational equity. She also delivers practice-oriented workshops on social research methods.

Introducing A: aufklaren – Insights into secondary prevention and improving care for children of parents with mental illness.
Kerstin Heins
A: aufklaren | Expertise und Netzwerk Kinder psychisch erkrankter Eltern | Der PARITÄTISCHE Hamburg

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Germany
About this presentation
A: aufklaren has spent six years raising awareness of the needs of children and young carers whose parents have mental illness in Hamburg. The initiative educates professionals, shares expertise, strengthens networks, provides consultation, and advocates for policy change. Through interdisciplinary cooperation and stakeholder engagement, it has improved prevention, support services, and care structures for affected families and communities.

Key takeaway

Learn from experiences of a local approach how to speak up for children of mental ill parents in social and health networks, institutions and local government. Get to know tools and strategy to break the columns of social system, improve interprofessional perspectives and collaboration for a familyfocused prevention and practical work.

About the presenter

Kerstin was a young carer of a mother with endogene depression. All the years she was bussy in settings of family support, pregnegnancy, early childhood services (Frühe Hilfen), families with mental ill parents. Networking und speaking up in committees are two of her great skills.
Insta: a.aufklaren

Making invisible young carers visible – Recognising and Supporting Young Carers Growing Up with Parental Mental Illness, Addiction or Intellectual Disability
Nynke de Nie & Inge Romeijn
Trimbos-Institute (the Dutch national research institute of mental health)

|

The Netherlands
About this presentation
Young carers who grow up with a parent experiencing mental health problems or an addiction (COPMI), or an intellectual disability, often face significant emotional and social challenges. This workshop by the Dutch Trimbos Institute explores their experiences, helps professionals recognise their needs, and presents evidence-based interventions to improve identification, support, and wellbeing

Key takeaway

Discover how to better recognise, understand, and support children growing up with parental mental health problems, addiction, or intellectual disabilities

About the presenter

Nynke de Nie is a researcher at Trimbos-institute, focusing on the prevention of mental health problems and the promotion of wellbeing among children growing up with a parent with mental health problems, addiction, or an intellectual disability. Inge (24) cared for her mother—who had bipolar disorder and long-term memory loss—until she passed away last year. Since 2018, she has been active in advocacy work, including through JMZPro Klankbordgroep and Eurocarers. Professionally, she works as a child psychologist.
Recognition
Creative Approaches to Supporting Young Carers

When Stories Shift Systems: From Youth-Led Creative Voice to Change Across Education, Health and Care Services, and Policy
Danny Donnelly
University of Nottingham

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
This presentation explores a youth-led creative writing and arts programme co-produced with young carers and informed by 16 years of lived caring experience. It examines how co-produced storytelling supports wellbeing, strengthens family and community understanding, and amplifies young carers’ voices through creative outputs used in schools, healthcare education, professional training and national policy discussions, demonstrating its potential to influence wider systems change.

Key takeaway

Learn how we created the conditions for young carers to thrive through a co-produced creative writing programme, and explore the impact storytelling had on wellbeing, identity, peer support and professional understanding.

About the presenter

Danny is a practitioner-researcher with 16 years of lived experience as an unpaid carer. Drawing on his lived and professional expertise, he works across research, policy and practice at local, national and international levels to reduce unpaid carer health inequalities.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-donnelly/

More Than a Game: Raising Awareness of Young Carers Through Creative Classroom Engagement
Julie Bickerstaff
L’Appui pour les proches aidants

|

Canada
About this presentation
More Than 7 Families is an innovative classroom activity that raises awareness of young carers through play and creativity. Inspired by a caregiving-themed card game, students explore caregiving realities and create their own game. Preliminary results suggest increased empathy, awareness, and meaningful discussions about family diversity, responsibility, and mutual support.

Key takeaway

This presentation explores how a play-based classroom activity can raise awareness about young carers, foster empathy, and encourage reflection on caregiving experiences. It also highlights a practical, curriculum-aligned approach that educators can adapt to promote greater recognition and support of young carers in school settings.

About the presenter

Julie Bickerstaff C. is Director of Knowledge Transfer at L’Appui pour les proches aidants. With a master’s in social work, she brings 20 years of experience in collaboration, social development, program management, research, health care, and community work.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-b-5357a210/

Caring and creativity: a participatory approach to art-for-wellbeing with young adult carers in Nigeria and the UK
Galina Gardiner
University of Warwick

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United Kingdom
About this presentation
This PhD presentation looks at how visual art groups can benefit young adult carers’ wellbeing. It takes a global perspective, using Nigeria and the UK as examples of cultures with different approaches to caregiving, wellbeing and visual art. We describe the creative and participatory research methods that were used, and discuss findings so far.

Key takeaway

Examples of young adult caregivers’ extraordinary creative potential in contributing to positive change through joint and individual art and research activities.

About the presenter

Galina is a professional artist and researcher. She has run art workshops with young carers and other groups, and worked as an associate researcher at Warwick Medical School. She is undertaking an ESRC-funded wellbeing-focused PhD with the University of Warwick.

From Lived Experience to Action: The Hidden Helpers Journey Map and Activity Book
Leah Hellwege
Elizabeth Dole Foundation

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United States
About this presentation
Hidden helpers are the 2.3+ million children and youth in the U.S. caring for a wounded, ill, or injured veteran or servicemember, yet they remain largely unrecognized. This session introduces the co-designed Hidden Helpers Journey Map and Activity Book, exploring their development and how these strengths-based tools can be adapted to support young carers globally.

Key takeaway

Participants will experience the Hidden Helpers Journey Map and Activity Book firsthand and leave with practical strategies for co-designing similar tools with young carers and implementing them across school, healthcare, and community settings to build emotional literacy and strengthen support systems.

About the presenter

Leah is Programs Manager for Hidden Helpers and Mental Wellness at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, managing the 120+ organization Hidden Helpers Coalition, communications, newsletter production, and youth caregiver initiatives, plus mental wellness programming. Previously Senior Programs Coordinator/Intern there. She holds a Fairfield University Psychology degree, Behavioral Neuroscience concentration, Public Health minor.
leahhellwege
Recognition
Growing Beyond Caring: Lived Experience as Knowledge

From young carer to care researchers – my (not so linear) journey into academia
Enrico Pfeifer
University College London

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
This presentation reflects on a personal journey from young carer to academic researcher. It explores how caring responsibilities in childhood can shape education, identity, confidence, and life trajectories well beyond early life. Drawing on lived experience, it considers the long-term legacy of young caring and the need for more flexible, inclusive, and supportive systems.

Key takeaway

Get insight into how education and career systems can better support young carers across the life course, and why carers should be seen not only as people in need of support but as people with knowledge, expertise, and much to contribute.

About the presenter

Enrico Pfeifer is a Research Fellow at University College London and Co-Lead of the Care theme at the ESRC Centre for Lifecourse Health Equity (Equalise), researching inequalities in unpaid caregiving. His work is motivated by lived experience as a former young carer.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/enricopfeifer85/

Beyond sharing lived experience: What it means for former young carers to conduct academic research
Yuki Kameyama
Toyo University

|

Japan
About this presentation
Former young carers are often expected to share their lived experience, but repeated self-disclosure can make them vulnerable and confine their contribution to personal testimony. Academic research enables former young carers to critically examine existing research and policy, develop new concepts and perspectives, and produce knowledge beyond individual lived experience.

Key takeaway

Learn how academic research enables former young carers to contribute beyond sharing lived experience.

About the presenter

Yuki Kameyama is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Sociology at Toyo University, Japan, and a former young carer. His research focuses on poverty among young carers and their families.
https://researchmap.jp/yukikameyama?lang=en

What Doesn’t Break You: Post-Traumatic Growth Across a Life of Caregiving
Maria Miranda, LMSW

|

United States
About this presentation
A family carer from the age of nine, the presenter draws on decades of lived experience to explore how caregiving became a source of strength alongside struggle. Now a community-based social worker and care advocate, she traces how post-traumatic growth turned early caregiving into a lifelong purpose, transforming what could have broken her into the work that drives her today.

Key takeaway

The presenter will provide an honest account of caregiving as a lifelong reality, beginning in childhood, and will show how growth can take root inside the struggle, shaping a life spent serving and advocating for other carers and families.

About the presenter

Maria Miranda is a community-based social worker shaped by her lifelong experience as a family caregiver. She advocates for older adults, caregivers, and social workers, and serves as a National Advisory Council Member for the American Association of Caregiving Youth.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-miranda-lmsw/

You will not compartmentalize me: reflections on five years of sharing my experience as an academic, practitioner and (ex) young carer
Lena Van Bergen
Ghent University and ZoJong!

|

Belgium
About this presentation
I will share my experiences as someone who was a young carer until recently, but also joined an NGO for/by young carers (ZoJong!) and moved into the academic world as a PhD student on this topic. I will analyze through Rancière how mixing, subverting and ‘breaking out’ of these roles led to some surprising contradictions, revealing how we look at people with ‘lived experience’ and ‘experts’.

Key takeaway

Expect a sharp commentary on how various ‘advocacy’ spaces (such as this very conference!) can make young carers feel (dis)respected. This will bring insights into how to avoid ‘tokenizing’ people with lived experience.

About the presenter

Lena (she/they) is a 27-year-old PhD student at Ghent University, volunteer practitioner at young carers’ organization ZoJong! and former young carer. Their PhD research examines how young (adult) carers come to support their peers through volunteering and activism.
www.linkedin.com/in/lena-van-bergen-122a3a178
Recognition
Student Carers in Higher Education I: Visibility and Wellbeing

Balancing Study and Care: Well-being and Health Literacy among Student Carers in Germany
Corinna Jung
MSB Medical School Berlin

|

Germany
About this presentation
For many young adults, university life involves more than studying: it also includes caring for a family member. Despite the challenges of balancing these roles, student carers remain poorly understood. This contribution investigates differences in burden, well-being, and health literacy between student carers and non-carers and examines whether shared caregiving responsibilities are linked to better well-being.

Key takeaway

Gain insights into the experiences of student carers in Germany and the challenges they face balancing study and caregiving. The findings highlight opportunities for universities to better recognise and support this largely invisible group.

About the presenter

Corinna Jung is Professor of Empirical Social Research in the Social Work programme at MSB Medical School Berlin. Her research interests include vulnerable populations, end-of-life care, interprofessional collaboration, and the organisation and delivery of health and social care.
https://de.linkedin.com/in/corinna-jung-2a1374111

“It’s a bit like an underground club”: An investigation of intergenerational care in the UK higher education context
Dangeni & Prof. Marie-Pierre Moreau
Anglia Ruskin University

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
As populations age, young people are increasingly likely to provide care to older adults. Despite this, a significant gap remains in existing research on care provided by young caregivers in education to older adults. This paper is part of a broader project, InterCare (2024-2028, funded by Volkswagen Foundation), which focuses on student carers aged 18 to 30 formally engaged in education, such as university students or apprentices, and aims to answer these two research questions: -What are the characteristics of the intergenerational care-arrangements between student carers and their older care recipients? -What are the benefits and challenges associated with intergenerational care arrangements for student carers and their older care recipients? In this presentation, the preliminary findings will shed light on both research and practice gap in relation to this ‘hidden and invisible’ cohort in higher education, including a deeper understanding of their everyday experiences, the effective approaches to create a more inclusive educational culture and environment, and an improved, ‘care-full’ educational and social care system for student carers and those they care for.

Key takeaway

We will discuss four main themes from the UK perspectives: 1) The diverse and often complex care arrangements that student carers navigate, including intergenerational, familial, and transnational care responsibilities. 2) The dynamic negotiation between caregiving responsibilities and academic engagement. 3) The existing support mechanisms within higher education and social care systems. 4) The in/visibility and mis/recognition of student carers.

About the presenter

Dr Dangeni is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at School of Education, Anglia Ruskin University. She is a higher education researcher-practitioner with a focus on inclusion and navigating the experiences of international and minoritised cohorts. Her work explores the intersections of higher education, internationalisation and inequalities. Prof Marie-Pierre Moreau is Professor in Sociology of Education, Work and Inequalities at ARU. She is the editor of the journal Access: Critical Explorations of Equity in Higher Education, and of the Bloomsbury Gender and Education book series.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangeni-81b9542a7/

Between Lecture Hall and Care Work: Student Caregivers in Germany
Flora Petrik, Moritz Heß, Marc Kellert, Klara Kümpfel, Alisa Lange, Joy Pirig & Anna Wanka
Goethe University Frankfurt, Hochschule Niederrhein

|

Germany
About this presentation
This presentation explores student caregivers in Germany, focusing on the extent and social distribution of caregiving, its effects on study experiences and well-being, and institutional responses. Drawing on mixed-methods data, it shows how care responsibilities disproportionately affect first-generation and minority students, contributing to educational disadvantage and life-course inequality.

Key takeaway

Participants can look forward to an empirically grounded insight into an often invisible group in higher education: students who care for older relatives. The presentation shows how universities can better recognise student caregivers and develop practical support structures, from flexible study arrangements to a stronger university care culture.

About the presenter

Flora Petrik is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Goethe University Frankfurt, where she currently works on students with caring responsibilities and the relationship between education and care. She completed her PhD in Education at the University of Tübingen, Germany, focusing on first-generation students in higher education and social mobility. Her work engages sociological, educational and cultural theory to analyse inequality in schools and universities, with a particular focus on social class, life-course transitions, learning practices and processes of subject formation.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/flora-petrik-32ba3320a/

Balancing Care and Higher Education: Challenges, Growth, and Recognition of Young Adult Carers in Poland
Joanna Kwinta-Odrzywołek
Jagiellonian University

|

Poland
About this presentation
The presentation presents findings from a qualitative study from InterCare Project on young adult carers in Poland who combine higher education with caring for older family members. It highlights both challenges and personal growth, offering recommendations for universities to better recognise and support student carers.

Key takeaway

Learn about the hidden experiences of student carers in Poland and how they balance academic responsibilities with caring for older family members. The presentation explores the need for greater recognition and more structured forms of support within higher education.

About the presenter

Researcher and PhD student specialising in ageing-related research, social innovation projects, competence development, and labour market challenges. Experienced in conducting qualitative and quantitative studies, marketing research, and evaluation projects for public and private institutions, with a focus on social change and innovation.
Recognition
Recognising Diversity Among Young Carers

“Hidden young carers: Recognizing caregiving responsibilities taken by minors within families in precarious residential situations in Switzerland”
Sabrina Laimbacher
Bern University of Applied Sciences

|

Switzerland
About this presentation
Ethnographic findings highlight the often-hidden role of young carers in migrant families living with precarious residential status in Switzerland. Children frequently take on substantial caregiving responsibilities within families, particularly when parents experience psychosocial distress. Despite being key contributors to family well-being and resilience, these young carers often remain invisible due to families’ marginalised and socially hidden living situations.

Key takeaway

Raise awareness of the frequently overlooked caregiving responsibilities undertaken by young carers in psychosocially distressed families in precarious residential situations

About the presenter

Sabrina Laimbacher, MSc, RN, PHD student, is a nursing scientist and lecturer at Bern University of Applied Sciences. Her research mainly focuses on psychosocial health, informal support systems and health equity among marginalised groups.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-laimbacher-900706203/

An intersectional study of family carers: Examining the interaction between ethnicity and young adulthood to develop appropriate support
Mrs Chandini Subramanyam-Paul
University of Leicester & LOROS Centre for Excellence

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
An intersectional study of family carers: Examining the interaction between ethnicity and young adulthood to enhance inclusion and develop appropriate support

Key takeaway

To understand the nuanced experiences of ethnically diverse young adult carers. To learn about how to provide more appropriate, intersectional, support for their needs.

About the presenter

Postgraduate Researcher and Lecturer in Health and Social Care
www.linkedin.com/in/chandini-subramanyam-paul-5a6022176

Invisible At The Intersection: Black and Global Majority (BGM) Young Carers (and the Limits of Current Policy – UK)
Emily Farquharson
Race on the Agenda – ROTA

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
Black and Global Majority young carers remain underrepresented in research, policy and practice. Drawing on ‘Invisible at the Intersection’, this presentation explores how race, culture and structural inequalities shape the recognition and experiences of young carers, and considers what a more race-conscious approach to young carer policy and practice could look like.

Key takeaway

Explore what becomes visible when race is placed at the centre of conversations about young caring. Leave with new questions, fresh perspectives and practical considerations for more race-conscious practice.

About the presenter

Emily Farquharson is a Social Research Degree Apprentice at Race on the Agenda (ROTA), with experience across grant-making, governance, research and voluntary advisory roles. Her work explores race equity, community knowledge and more equitable approaches to policy and decision-making.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyfarquharson
Recognition
Young Carers – Herausforderungen und Perspektiven im deutschsprachigen Raum (german language session)

Developing Regional Support Structures for Young (Adult) Carers: A Network-Based Approach Using the Example of YoungCarers@OL
Anna-Maria Spittel
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

|

Germany
About this presentation
YoungCarers@OL aims to develop sustainable support structures for young (adult) carers in Oldenburg, Germany. Launched in 2026, the project seeks to strengthen awareness, intersectoral networking, information sharing, and needs-based support. The presentation outlines its conceptual framework, provides first insights from the network analysis, and discusses early experiences and transferable approaches for regional care systems.

Key takeaway

Learn how YoungCarers@OL is working to build sustainable, intersectoral support structures for young (adult) carers, and how network analysis contributes to this process.

About the presenter

Anna-Maria Spittel, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in Germany. Her research focuses on young adult carers in the context of school counselling, higher education, and structures of cooperation within support systems. She also draws on ecosystem theories in her research.
Anna-Maria Spittel

German Social Security Law and Young Carers´ Compatability of Education, Care and Life
Stefanie Gröhl

|

Germany
About this presentation
The presentation will outline the legislative regulations on work-life balance. It will consider whether and to what extent these regulations also apply to young carers in terms of balancing school and care responsibilities.The concluding remarks will assess the need for legislative action and provide a critical perspective on this matter.

Key takeaway

Get to know the German legal framework on work-life balance of young carers.

About the presenter

Dr. Stefanie Gröhl is a fully qualified lawyer whose research focuses on family and social security law, with a particular emphasis on children’s rights.
www.linkedin.com/in/dr-stefanie-gröhl-21bb19241

“I lost a big amount of my childhood”
Serap Görtz, Annalena Struckmann, MarielPauls-Reize
Young Supporters e.V. Duisburg

|

Germany
About this presentation
Two Generations, One Shared Experience Serap and Annalena met in the Young Supporters Talk Group in Duisburg and discovered a powerful connection: both are Young Carers, but at very different stages of life. Serap, 43, cared for her mother from childhood into her twenties – a “hidden job” that shaped her life in many ways. Annalena, 26, is caring for her mother today. Together with Mariel, who leads the group, they will share their personal stories and talk openly about the challenges, strengths and lasting impact of growing up caring for someone you love.

Key takeaway

Participants will gain first-hand insights into the realities of Young Carers in Germany through two personal stories from different generations. They will leave with a deeper understanding of the long-term impact of caring in childhood and new perspectives on how to recognise and better support Young Carers in their own practice.

About the presenter

Serap Görtz is a german-turkish Educationalist with a Master in Adult Education, former young carer and founder of Wurzellicht®, offering nature-based grief and process support. She advocates for greater visibility and culturally sensitive support for young carers. Annalena Struckmann, 26, is a law student. For the past two and a half years, she has been caring for and supporting her seriously ill mother. Through the Young Supporters grief support group, she found connection and support. Today, she advocates for making the experiences of young carers more visible. Mariel Pauls-Reize is a systemic family therapist, grief counsellor, and founding member of Young Supporters e.V. She leads the support group for young carers and bereaved young adults within the organization. She describes young carers as “invisible heroes” whose invaluable contributions deserve greater public recognition and whose voices need to be heard.

15:00

–

16:00
Workshop Session
Recognition
From Framework to Practice: Applying the Caring in Context Framework to Build Sustainable Support for Young Carers
Marianne Frech, Steffen Kaiser, Lea Dreissen, Wolfgang Foltin, Martin Nagl-Cupal, Anna-Maria Spittel
Solothurner Spitäler AG; Europa-Universität Flensburg; In Zwei Welten; Universität Wien – Department of Nursing Science; Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Switzerland
This interactive workshop applies the Caring in Context Framework to practice. Participants explore young carers’ lived experiences, reflect on recognition as a meaningful and relational process, and learn from a co-produced practice example. Through collaborative activities, participants will critically reflect on, further develop and adapt the framework to their own practice contexts, creating ideas for sustainable, cross-sector support for young carers.
Marianne Frech is Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at Solothurner Spitäler, Switzerland, and founder of remarkable GmbH. Her work combines nursing science, healthcare innovation and research, with a focus on young carers, family- and person-centred care, and cross-sectoral support. Martin Nagl-Cupal is Associate Professor of Nursing Science and Deputy Head of the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Vienna. His research focuses on family caregiving, young carers, family nursing and qualitative research. Steffen Kaiser is a researcher at Europa-Universität Flensburg, Germany. His work focuses on young carers, inclusive education and the educational and social contexts of children and young people with caring responsibilities. Anna-Maria Spittel is a researcher at Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany. Her research focuses on young and young adult carers, families affected by illness or disability, health literacy and support systems in educational contexts. Lea Dreissen is a social worker, case manager and presenter in Germany. As a former Young Carer and Young Adult Carer, she brings lived experience and a unique life-world perspective to research, education and professional support for young carers. Wolfgang Foltin is a social pedagogue and project lead for inclusion and equal opportunities in schools in Germany. He has extensive professional experience in supporting young carers and delivers workshops and training on awareness and support.
Discover how the Caring in Context Framework can help make young carers visible and strengthen support across sectors. Participants will leave with practical questions, new perspectives and ideas for adapting and further developing the framework within their own practice contexts.
Young Carers in a Changing World
More than Participation: Young adult carers influencing systems change through co-production and peer mentoring
Sally Duckers & young carers from Credu
Credu supporting young and adult carers
UK
This workshop will be hosted by young carers and professionals from “Credu”.
“We hope that participants will understand the importance of participation by young carers in creating momentum, energy and inspiration. That the work should be “nothing about us without us” and that young carers are hugely impactful at delivering a message through real-life experience and storytelling and can complement the findings of research and statistics. The practical workshopping element taken from the Peer Mentor programme hopes to inspire a way of working that recognises everyone is an expert in their own lives, and through active listening skills we can support Young Carers and their families to find sustainable solutions to challenges in their lives. The key is Listening to Learn and Learning to Listen.”
From Projects to Community: Shared Lessons from Building Young Carers Networks in German-Speaking Countries
Martin Nagl-Cupal, Dr. Anne Münch, Nina Pirk, Natasha Hunziker, Nicole Traxler, Gudrun Kalchhauser
Multiple organisations from Austria, Germany and Switzerland
Austria, Germany, Switzerland
This symposium will bring together perspectives from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria to explore how collaboration, community building, and networking can increase the visibility and support available to young carers. Participants will gain valuable insights into effective networking strategies, the main challenges faced, and the key lessons learned from both well-established and emerging initiatives.
Participants can look forward to practical lessons from three national network initiatives and discover how collaboration can accelerate progress for young carers. The symposium offers a unique opportunity to compare different approaches, share experiences, and identify opportunities for cross-country learning.
Nothing about us without us: Meaningful Involvement of Young Adult Carers in Policy and Practice
Robin Kirknes Andreassen, Oda-Marie Muriaas, Karoline Robertsen, Elizabeth Ledal, Stian Kofoed Henriksen
Pårørendealliansen Ung
Norway
This workshop explores how young adult carers can become active contributors to policy development. Members of Pårørendealliansen Ung will share experiences from a national youth-led advocacy council. Through group discussions, participants will exchange approaches and identify practical strategies for creating sustainable and meaningful participation across different national contexts.
The workshop will be presented by members of Pårørendealliansen Ung, a national youth council bringing together young adult carers with diverse caring experiences. The council works to raise awareness and influence policies and services affecting young carers in Norway.
Gain practical insights into how organisations and others can move beyond consultation and create meaningful, youth-led participation.
Recognition
Recognise, Refer and Reach: a partnership approach to supporting young carers in resource poor settings
Ruth Patil
Carers Worldwide
United Kingdom
The workshop will focus on how a holistic approach to young carer support can be adapted for a range of resource poor settings in order to meet the needs and aspirations of young carers as well as encourage systems change. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own work with young carers and the context within which it operates, and learn from the experiences of those working in a range of settings globally. Young carer voices will be central within the workshop, as will an emphasis on the need to establish meaningful partnerships between stakeholders in order to achieve sustainable change.
Ruth is the Development Director of Carers Worldwide, an international charity which promotes recognition and support of family carers in the global South. She has over 30 years’ experience in the health, disability and international development sectors in the UK, South Asia and East Africa.
Learn about a holistic, partnership-led approach to young carer support and reflect on your own partnerships and practice.
Why a Young Caregivers Roundtable? Networking Canada’s Support, Research and Advocacy Efforts
Oliver Fitzpatrick, Grace Smith, Cayleigh Sexton, Rhiannon Satherley, Rosie Paulyk, Rebekah Gold
Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, Young Caregivers Association, BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Young Caregivers Collective of Canada
Canada
This Symposium brings together members of Canada’s Young Caregivers Roundtable, an interdisciplinary network of advocates, young caregivers, researchers, service providers, and caregiving sector partners. Presentations will explore a national young caregiver framework, sibling caregiving, employment, mental health, and young caregiver leadership, highlighting how shared knowledge and collaboration can strengthen supports across a nation.
Oliver Fitzpatrick is a community organizer with 10 years’ experience in nonprofit coalition-building and project management, including establishing and leading programs for young carers. He is Partnerships and Knowledge Translation Specialist at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. Grace Smith, PhD, is Senior Operations Specialist at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, where she leads the Young Carers Roundtable. With experience in community, health, and arts settings, she is passionate about creating better systems for caregivers, care providers, and care recipients. Cayleigh Sexton is the Executive Director of Young Caregivers Association and a leader in advancing support for young caregivers. With over a decade of experience spanning practice, research, and organizational leadership, she works to build programs, partnerships, and systems that respond to the unique needs of young caregivers while strengthening their recognition and support across Canada. Rhiannon Satherley is the Manager of the Sibling Support Centre and Services at BC Children’s Hospital. Drawing on professional and lived experience, she leads initiatives that advance recognition, support, and national collaboration for young sibling caregivers. Rosie Paulyk started caring for her mom who lives with MS at age 10. In young adulthood, she has worked with CBC and River Road Films, created The Multiply Music Effect, and grown Chronic Oasis, an online community for chronic caregivers. Rebekah Gold is a PhD Candidate at Brock University researching care, mental health, and participatory arts-based approaches with young carers. A lived-experience researcher, she co-founded and leads the Young Caregivers Collective of Canada.
Explore how Canada is breaking down silos to support young caregivers from pediatrics through young adulthood. Bringing together practice, advocacy, storytelling, and lived experience, attendees will learn practical strategies and collaborative models from organizations, young caregivers, and researchers across Canada.
The Multifaceted Impact of Young Caring in Education, Relationships, Mental Health and Long-Term Health. Longitudinal evidence from the UK.
Rebecca Lacey; Anne McMunn; Alison Nicoll; Alejandra Letelier
City St George’s University of London; University College London; Anglia Ruskin University
United Kingdom
This symposium brings together four longitudinal studies exploring how being a young carer can affect education, friendships, mental health and health later in life. Using large UK longitudinal studies and linked data, we will share new evidence on the challenges young carers face and discuss what this means for policy and practice.
Rebecca Lacey is a social epidemiologist at City St George’s, University of London. Her research focuses on young carers, examining how caring responsibilities in childhood shape mental health, education and health inequalities across the life course. Anne McMunn is Professor of Social Epidemiology at University College London. Her research explores how social circumstances across the life course influence health and wellbeing, with expertise in ageing, caring, work, family life and social inequalities. Alison Nicol is a Research Fellow at City St George’s, University of London. Her work focuses on social inequalities, longitudinal data analysis, and the health, education and wellbeing of children and young people, including young carers. Alejandra Letelier is a Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University. Her research examines health inequalities across the life course. She specialises in longitudinal data analysis, social determinants of health, and using research to inform policy and practice.
Find out what new longitudinal UK evidence tells us about the experiences and life opportunities of young carers. We hope the session will spark discussion about how schools, health services and policymakers can work together to better identify and support young carers.

16:00

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16:30
Coffee break
Including a short address and information for the evening.

16:30

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18:00
Presentation Sessions 2
Choose one of these parallel presentations sessions.
Young Carers in a Changing World
Turning Experience into Action: Young Carers as Changemakers I

Young Carers Voices changing the world of policy and development. A global network Call to Action: ‘Recognise Young Carers and understand our Needs’
Helen Leadbitter
Young Carers Initiative

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United Kingdom
About this presentation
Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work co-ordinated a global consultation with young carers in countries across the global north and south to develop a Charter for Young Carers. This outlines ten core recommendations and a call to action for local and national Governments globally to recognise young carers and understand their needs in relation to those they care for.

Key takeaway

Learn from our experiences of co-creating advocacy actions with young carers, through informing young carers of their Rights as children, as outlined in the articles of the UNCRC, and enabling young carers themselves to inform us about where these rights are not upheld due to the impacts of caring responsibilities during childhood and young adulthood. With an outcome of developing an international charter for young carers to galvanise recognition and support for young carers globally. Hear how the Charter was presented at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa in 2024, at meetings of the Commonwealth Health and Youth Ministers and was recommended in communiqués raising the profile of young carers voices on this global platform.

About the presenter

Helen Leadbitter is a Social Worker who has been working in development and campaigning for young carers in the charity sector for over 25 years, has recognised specialist knowledge of young carers and the growing young carers sector both nationally across England and internationally; provides consultancy work and is a research fellow of the Open University Carers Research Group.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-leadbitter-mbe-49217312a/

Young Adult Carers Connect: From Isolation to Community
Josephine Conrad
wir pflegen e.V.

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Germany
About this presentation
This presentation explores what happens when young adult carers move from silent isolation to mutual support. Drawing on the lived experience of balancing young adulthood and caregiving, it shows how a digital self-help group restores agency and why recognising young adult carers as individuals beyond their caregiving roles is essential for wellbeing and meaningful connection.

Key takeaway

Discover how Young Adult Carers Connect transformed personal isolation into collective strength through a digital self-help group. Participants will explore how lived experience, peer support, and creating spaces of belonging can empower young adult carers and reshape the way their needs are understood.

About the presenter

Josephine Conrad co-founded Young Adult Carers Connect, a digital self-help group for young adult carers in Germany. After supporting her terminally ill mother as a teenager and caring for her father following a stroke during university, she co-created the group.
www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-c-98a366364

Taking Care of Ourselves
Shannika Greene, Saoirse Hayden, Kellie Kardwell, Miki Greene, Claire Perrie

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Ireland
About this presentation
How young carers in Ireland advocated for their rights on a local, national and international stage. A presentation by 6 Irish young carers covering our advocacy journey. – presenting to government as young carers. – award winning youth service. – project Nexus and EuropeanSolidarityCorps connecting carers – participatory research – the National Young Carers Conference and meeting the President. – The UN invitation. – The Art of Caring – Reporting to the Decision Makers. – Here we are. To infinity and beyond

Key takeaway

Taking Care of Ourselves – How young carers in Ireland advocated for their rights on a local,national and international stage.

About the presenter

Shannika Greene- My name is Shannika Greene I am 20 year old, I am currently in the Technological University of the Shannon in Ireland, I am studying am currently in a studying a Level 8 Bachelor Honours Degree in Social Care Practice. Shannika is now CAIM Empowers Irish Programme Manager. Saoirse Hayden- Hi my name is Saoirse I’m 19 years old and I’m in my final year of my bachelors degree in History and Sociology, I was the co lead alongside Shannika for the National Young Carers Conference in Dublin. Kellie McDonnell- Hi, my name is Kellie. I am currently studying at Level 8 for a Bachelor’s Honours Degree in Social Care Practice. Claire Perrie- My name is claire Perrie-Connor and I’m 18 year old foster care leaver and transgender young person. I’m also a spokesperson for the rights of LGBT youth alongside young carers and a strong participant in social change initiatives Miki Greene- My name is Miki I am 18 years old, I am a young advocate and project contributor with a strong interest in ensuring young people’s voices are heard and valued. Through my involvement in youth-led projects, I have contributed to discussions around young carers, inclusion and young people’s rights. Anthony Ojoi- Hi, my name is Tony. I’m currently studying Culinary Arts and I’m also a clothing brand owner, where I’m involved in designing and developing my own streetwear brand. I’m passionate about creativity, business and developing new skills.
Strengthening Services Through Collaboration and Innovation

Beyond the One-Size-Fits-All: A Staged Support Model That Meets Young Carers Where They Are
Madeleine Buchner
Little Dreamers Australia

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Australia
About this presentation
Support for Young Carers has long defaulted to respite. Little Dreamers’ Empowered Care Model, co-designed with Young Carers, sequences support instead: whole-of-family assessment, one-to-one skill building, group programming and finally respite once trust and readiness are established. This session shares the model’s design, early pilot learnings, and the systemic funding challenge it exposes.

Key takeaway

A replicable framework for sequencing Young Carer support, including the seven skill domains, the readiness indicators that signal when a Young Carer is ready to move between stages, and early learnings from the first months of pilot delivery.

About the presenter

Madeleine Buchner OAM is Founder and CEO of Little Dreamers, Australia’s leading Young Carer organisation, which she established at sixteen. A 2024 Churchill Fellow, her work focuses on translating Young Carer voice into service design.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleinebuchneroam/

How can we do more? Questions, challenges and solutions for young carers services
Andrew Deacon
Sefton Carers Centre

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England
About this presentation
Sefton Carers Centre works with and for young carers and young adult carers in our borough in the north-west of England. We face many challenges in our efforts to support and empower carers, and we work creatively within our resources to find solutions. This presentation explores the approaches of our organisation to put into practice equitable services for carers.

Key takeaway

Hear about the challenges faced and solutions developed by an established young carers service in England.

About the presenter

Andrew Deacon works with and for young carers and young adult carers at Sefton Carers Centre in the Liverpool City Region in the north-west of England.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deacon-50542a79/

Strengthening Services Through Collaboration and Innovation
Corniche Plumridge, Hayley Malcom, Hannah Bundy & Abriarna Malcolm
Hampshire Young Carers Alliance

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United Kingdom
About this presentation
Navigating a complex commissioning landscape, the Hampshire Young Carers Alliance (HYCA) shares its 20-year journey of evolving from a peer-support network into a robust, funded consortium. Co-delivered by Alliance leaders and young carers, this session explores how to balance county-wide strategic scale with hyper-local identity, ensuring person-centred support remains at the heart of service delivery.

Key takeaway

Participants will gain a practical blueprint for building a resilient, multi-agency consortium that secures funding while keeping local identities intact. Most importantly, you will hear directly from young carers on how this strategic collaboration elevates their everyday support.

About the presenter

Corniche & Hayley are key members of the Management Committee for the Hampshire Young Carers Alliance, each bring over 10 years of dedicated experience to the field. They specialize in delivering essential services, raising vital community awareness, and passionately advocating for the rights of young carers. Hannah & Abriarna are young carers who have been supported by their local project. Hannah provides care for her parent, while Abriarna cares for her sibling. Together, they share their invaluable lived experiences to help others understand the reality of being a young carer.
Corniche Plumridge

Hidden No More: Making Youth Caregiving Visible Across Systems
Courtney Kagarise
Elizabeth Dole Foundation

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USA
About this presentation
An estimated 2.3 million U.S. youth provide unpaid care to a wounded, ill, or injured veteran or servicemember, yet remain largely unrecognized. This session presents the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Hidden Helpers Coalition, a cross-sector model for identifying and supporting youth caregivers — spanning peer support, education, clinical transformation, and impact evaluation — offering a framework other organizations and disciplines can adapt.

Key takeaway

Participants will leave with a practical, adaptable blueprint for building a cross-sector coalition to identify and support youth caregivers — grounded in real opportunities and barriers EDF has encountered along the way.

About the presenter

Courtney Kagarise is Vice President of Programs at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, leading the Hidden Helpers Coalition and national caregiver initiatives. She brings 15 years of multi-sector leadership experience in strategic planning and cross-sector partnership building.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneygavitt/
Recognition
Learning from Practice: Successful Approaches to Young Carer Support

Young Carers Basel: Raising Awareness and Providing Support—A Practical Project
Heidi Bühler
Red Cross Basel, Switzerland

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Switzerland
About this presentation
The presentation outlines the Basel Red Cross’s multi-phase project for young carers. Initial findings showed that raising awareness among professionals is more important than creating new services. A pilot project confirmed the effectiveness of awareness-raising, support activities, and networking. Since 2025, the project focuses on information, collaboration, coordination, and peer support.

Key takeaway

The biggest challenge is not creating new programs, but raising awareness of young caregivers through outreach efforts and the effective use of existing support systems. In this presentation, you’ll learn how you can raise awareness of young caregivers in practice.

About the presenter

Heidi Bühler is Project Manager of the Young Carers Programme at the Basel Red Cross. With postgraduate qualifications in Social Management, Social Pedagogy, and Family Therapy, she has experience in developing and implementing support services for young carers.
linkedin.com/in/heidi-b%C3%BChler-8a36491ba

Lessons learned from Germanys first young carer project
Benjamin Salzmann
Windschatten Berlin

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Germany
About this presentation
Germany has limited awareness of young carers and few dedicated support services. This presentation shares lessons from Windschatten, Germany’s first young carer center, established in 2021. It highlights three key success factors: using non-stigmatizing language, adopting a family-centred approach, and ensuring low-threshold access to support, offering practical recommendations for developing similar services elsewhere.

Key takeaway

How to reach young carers where there is little awareness and create a successful support project.

About the presenter

Benjamin Salzmann is a social worker with 10 years of experience in building young carer support in Berlin. He created two regional projects and used European collaboration to develop best practice support.

A multimodal approach to supporting young carers: lessons from the NGO La pause Brindille in France
DRAIS-CANOVAS Constance & BILLY Rébecca
La pause Brindille

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France
About this presentation
Recognizing young carers and improving their well-being requires investing in workforce training to provide inclusive, coordinated and tailored support. La pause Brindille combines in-person and online initiatives, including emotional support, creative workshops, and peer networks, to address their evolving needs. The program’s impact is measured by its ability to strengthen young carers’ confidence, well-being, empowerment and sense of legitimacy.

Key takeaway

This presentation will highlight practical strategies for recognizing and supporting young carers, drawing on La pause Brindille’s experience in combining professional training, hybrid support, and impact evaluation.

About the presenter

Vice-President of La pause Brindille since 2025 and Project Officer since 2024, Constance combines practice-based experience and research to improve the identification and support of young carers. Member of La pause Brindille since 2021, Rebecca is the development, events & professional training coordinator. She organises the Tribu Brindille Festival every two years, an event that gathers the young carers community in France.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/la-pause-brindille (@Lapausebrindille)
Recognition
Understanding and Supporting Sibling Carers

Young Carers in pediatric hospice & palliative care
Melanie van Dijk, Tabea Hilfer, Sarah Fatimi
Deutscher Kinderhospizverein e.V.

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Germany
About this presentation
Siblings of children and adolescents with life limiting or life threatening illnesses assume highly diverse roles within their families. While some are only minimally involved in caregiving activities, others regularly take on responsibility, provide emotional support, or manage practical tasks in everyday life. Consequently, many siblings—consciously or unconsciously—operate within the spectrum of what is commonly understood as the Young Carers concept. In pediatric hospice and palliative care, the issue of siblings’ shared responsibility has gained increasing relevance in recent years. Notably, it is often the siblings themselves who articulate their situations, burdens, and support needs with growing clarity. Participation and self help constitute two central pillars of the German Children’s Hospice Association (Deutscher Kinderhospizverein e.V.). We have given siblings a voice through digital exchange formats, peer support retreats, and professional discussion forums. In this presentation, we would like to share the key findings and insights that emerged from these conversations.

Key takeaway

We hope that participants will learn more about involving lived experience participants in designing and developing research as well as being research participants. Participants will learn about our approach to public involvement and we hope to learn about their experience of involved lived experience participants.

About the presenter

Melanie van Dijk is a qualified Social Pedagogue and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience in residential children’s and youth hospice care. She specializes in supporting children, siblings, and families through a compassionate, family-centered approach, helping them navigate complex emotional and life challenges. She currently serves as the Sibling Support Coordinator at the German Children’s Hospice Association, where she advocates for the needs of siblings and develops support services that strengthen resilience, connection, and well-being within families. Tabea Hilfer and Sarah Fatimi are sisters of young people with life-limiting illnesses. Tabeas sister died, Sarahs brother is alive. Through their own family journeys, they have gained deep insight into the everyday experiences of siblings. We describe them as “life-world experts” because their knowledge is rooted in lived experience, offering an authentic and powerful perspective on what it means to grow up alongside a brother or sister with complex health needs.
Melanie van Dijk

The Role of Young Carers in Supporting Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in Ethiopia
Solomon Mekonnen Abebe
University of Gondar

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Ethiopia
About this presentation
In Gondar, Ethiopia, many siblings quietly care for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, yet their contributions often go unrecognized. Drawing on over a decade of Community-Based Rehabilitation experience with 245 families, this presentation shares practical lessons on supporting young carers through family-centered care, early intervention, and stronger links between health, education, and community services

Key takeaway

Young carers are not just helpers; they are essential partners in supporting children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Recognizing and supporting them benefits both children and their families. Supporting young carers is a practical step toward stronger family-centered care and more inclusive support for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

About the presenter

Prof. Solomon Mekonnen Abebe, PhD, is Professor of Public Health at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. He has over 30 years of academic leadership, supervises PhD students nationally and internationally, has published 186+ peer-reviewed papers, and leads research and programs in disability inclusion, rehabilitation, and public health.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/solomon-mekonnen-abebe-2015ba40/

Siblings of People with Special Needs – (Young) Carers throughout Life
Dunja Batarilo

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Germany
About this presentation
Many young carers are siblings of children with special needs. Siblings are the one relationship in life we spend most of our lifespan with. What happens when both siblings slip into teenage years and adulthood? How do relationships and challenges change over time and biography, – and what should parents, partners, friends, professionals, politicians and siblings themselves know and be aware of? What do sibling carers need in order to not only survive, but thrive?

Key takeaway

Hear an authentic voice talk about their personal experience as a sibling, drawing from interviews with many of other siblings and experts

About the presenter

Dunja Batarilo had no idea she was a (young) carer until she in her late thirties. It wasn’t until she understood that being a sibling of a person with special needs makes your own life quite special, too. She is a journalist, podcast host and the younger sister of a man with Down-Syndrome. Dunja works for wochentaz, a leftwing-weekly magazine, and is the author of various non-fiction books. She has been advocating for siblings of people with special needs, and raised her sister voice ever since 2019. Her podcast: https://www.podcast.de/podcast/2627606/fuer-immer-anders-und-total-normal-der-podcast-fuer-geschwister-von-menschen-mit-behinderung. Her book: https://www.droemer-knaur.de/buch/dunja-batarilo-anders-fuer-immer-9783426570500 Dunja co-founded BLICK | PUNKT | GESCHWISTER, a platform featuring offers for and by adult “siblings”: www.blickpunktgeschwister.de
Recognition
Keeping Young Carers Connected to Education

Making visible the educational experiences of young people affected by parental alcohol misuse
Jo Tedstone
Lancaster University

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United Kingdom
About this presentation
Young people affected by parental alcohol misuse are often under-identified and unsupported within schools. This presentation shares findings from a participatory study exploring the secondary education experiences of five young people affected by a parent’s drinking and introduces the co-produced Feeling Seen briefing, which offers five practical recommendations to strengthen school support and reduce stigma.

Key takeaway

Participants will hear about a co-produced briefing developed with young people affected by parental alcohol misuse, with recommendations informed by the lived experiences of the young people and the researcher. The session will offer actionable insights for strengthening support for other young people affected and challenging the stigma that often surrounds parental alcohol misuse.

About the presenter

Jo is a PhD researcher exploring the educational experiences of children living with parental alcohol misuse. She is also Change Lead for Education at the Youth Endowment Fund and Chair of Governors at a local secondary academy.
Jo Tedstone – https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jo-tedstone-077841111

Punished for Caring: Suspensions, Exclusions and the Young Carer Crisis.
Shakira Bryan
MYTIME Young Carers

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UK
About this presentation
This presentation aims to explore emerging evidence from Punished for Caring, a national report by MYTIME Young Carers, highlighting the disproportionate rates of suspension and exclusion experienced by young carers across England. Despite providing essential care at home, young carers remain largely invisible within education systems, with their responsibilities often misinterpreted as behavioural issues. This presentation explores the findings of “Punished for Caring,” highlighting the disproportionate rates of suspensions and exclusions experienced by young carers in England. Drawing on national data, lived experience, and practitioner insight, it examines gaps in identification and support, and outlines practical, inclusive approaches schools can adopt to better recognise and support young carers.

Key takeaway

Explore the often overlooked experiences of young carers labelled as “challenging,” where behaviour reflects unmet need, overwhelm, and hidden responsibility. This session will challenge perceptions, promote professional curiosity, and highlight how education can fundamentally change a young person’s life trajectory.

About the presenter

Shakira Bryan is an inclusion professional and advocate for equity in education. She specialises in behaviour, exclusion, and systemic change, working to ensure vulnerable young people are recognised, understood, and supported within education settings.
www.linkedin.com/in/shakirabryan

Out of School, Out of Sight? Exploring the Experiences of Young Carers Not in Education
Hana Gill, Davy Hambling, Finley Thompson-Drewitt
Gloucestershire Young Carers / University of Gloucestershire

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UK
About this presentation
This presentation shares emerging findings from participatory research exploring the experiences of young carers and their families who are home educating. Delivered by Gloucestershire Young Carers and the University of Gloucestershire, the study examines wellbeing, support and safeguarding, highlighting implications for policy, practice and improving identification of this often hidden group.

Key takeaway

Gain an insight into the life of young carers and their parents navigating home education.

About the presenter

Hana Gill is Director of Development at Gloucestershire Young Carers. Passionate about meaningful youth participation, her work is in building strategic partnerships, influencing systems change and championing improved identification and support for hidden young carers. Davy Hambling is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Gloucestershire specialising in ethics, rights, risks and children and families’ social work. He is currently completing a PhD in the ethics of learning from people’s lived experiences. Finnley Thompson-Drewitt is a peer researcher who has lived experience of being a young carer and being home educated. He has just completed his college course as a carpenter and supports the participation work at Gloucestershire Young Carers.
David Hambling

Better Lives for Young Carers – Changing Trajectories
Rosalie McLachlan
Carers Australia

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Australia
About this presentation
Carers Australia’s research examines the impact of caring on young Australian carers’ education and employment. It also looks at what supports are provided to young carers and the evidence on what is effective at changing their education and employment trajectories.

Key takeaway

Evidence-based policies have the potential to change the education and employment trajectories of young carers. However, the evidence base is thin. Better evaluations of supports and policies are key to knowing more about what works and doesn’t work to support young carers to achieve their full potential.

About the presenter

Rosalie McLachlan is the National Director, Policy at Carers Australia. She has extensive experience shaping social policies in the areas of carers, aged care, disability, veterans, housing and Indigenous policy. She is passionate about evidence-based policy, solving complex problems and designing policies that improve lives.
Young Caring in Society: Evidence, Structures and Inequality

““Sometimes I feel like a motherless child”: Caregiving in the African-American Youth Experience”
Feylyn Lewis, PhD

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United States of America
About this presentation
Care has been a part of the African-American youth experience in the United States since enslavement. Of the 5.4 million young carers in the US today, Black children predominately have a caring role. Attendees will better understand the experience of Black young carers, drawing on both historical scholarship and present-day qualitative research evidence conducted by the author.

Key takeaway

Learn historical reasons for the positionality of Black young carers in the US Gain practical, nuanced tools for supporting Black young carers in practice

About the presenter

Dr. Lewis earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a PhD in Social Work. Her research focuses on mental health and resiliency in youth caregivers, and she conducts research in the US, Europe, UK, and Australia.
www.linkedin.com/in/feylynlewis

Young Adult Carers in Norway: Findings from a National Population-Based Survey
Robin Kirknes Andreassen, Marius Sjømæling
Norwegian alliance for informal carers (Pårørendealliansen), Norwegian directorate of health (Helsedirektoratet)

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Norway
About this presentation
This presentation shares findings from Norway’s latest representative population-based survey of young adult carers aged 16–25. Drawing on responses from more than 9,000 young people, it explores the prevalence and characteristics of young caring roles and their impact on health, education, social participation and future opportunities, compared with peers in the general population.

Key takeaway

Discover how a national population survey, combined with input from young adult carers, created new knowledge about caring among young people in Norway. Participants will leave with insights relevant to developing future research, policy and youth participation.

About the presenter

Robin K. Andreassen, adviser at the Norwegian Alliance for Informal Carers. He leads the organisation’s work on young carers and young adult carers and coordinates the national youth council for young adult carers. Marius Sjømæling, adviser at the Norwegian Directorate of Health. He has extensive experience from the service-user advocacy and founded Barn av rusmisbrukere, an organisation for children of parents with substance use problems.

Young Carers in Czechia: Differently Involved, Often Overlooked, but Always Affected
Kristýna Janurová, Magdalena Bubeníková
Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs (RILSA)

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Czechia
About this presentation
What does growing up with a sibling who needs long-term care really mean? Drawing on RILSA’s nationwide qualitative study in Czechia, this presentation explores the variety of siblings’ caring roles and the way these shape their everyday lives. Looking at their (unmet) needs, it shows why communication and adequate support matter. It offers novel insights alongside concrete recommendations for family and social policy.

Key takeaway

Concise empirical insights into caregiving siblings’ experiences and needs, accompanied by practical policy recommendations.

About the presenter

Kristýna Janurová is a researcher at RILSA and Charles University in Prague. Her expertise lies in family and social policy, sociology of the family, migrant civic participation, transnationalism and diaspora policy. She currently lives in Berlin. Magdalena Bubeníková is a recent graduate of the master’s program in Public and Social Policy at Charles University. Her academic and professional interests focus on the field of family policy, with a particular emphasis on young and informal caregivers.
www.linkedin.com/in/kristýna-janurová-33500b5a

Structural vulnerability of Finnish children growing up with parental illness: Socio-ecological lens on youth caregiving
Kirsi Hokkila
University of Turku

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Finland
About this presentation
In Finland, young carers remain invisible due to fragmented and adult-centred services, contested terminology, and cultural factors. The presentation shows how structural and normative conditions lead to cumulative misrecognition and shape youth caregiving, producing concealed responsibility and challenging emotion work with long-lasting wellbeing consequences. This work calls for greater public awareness, policy development, child-focused cross-sector action, and tailored support.

Key takeaway

Young carers can be known to exist yet still fall through the gaps of fragmented systems and communities. This presentation offers a structurally informed perspective on how misrecognition develops across social environments and institutions, with practical implications to move beyond identification toward meaningful support.

About the presenter

Kirsi Hokkila is completing her public health dissertation at the University of Turku on the structural vulnerability of young carers. She has extensive experience in Finnish NGOs supporting families affected by parental illness and developing child and family welfare services.
Innovative Approaches to Young Carer Support

“Is it worth the Risk?” Is our system worth the risk? Young carers and the dilemma of disclosing their caregiving role
Gudrun Kalchhauser, MSc
Austrian Red Cross – Lower Austria Regional Association

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Austria
About this presentation
Young carers often remain silent not because they reject help, but because disclosure can threaten family stability, control and trust. Drawing on practice-based experience and an audio-play example, the presentation explores disclosure as a risk assessment and shows how transparent, relationship-based, low-threshold responses can make support feel safe enough to accept.

Key takeaway

Participants can look forward to a vivid audio-play example and a practice-based reframing of silence as a rational protective strategy. They will take away concrete principles for making first responses safer, more transparent and more supportive.

About the presenter

Gudrun Kalchhauser is a nurse and Young Carers contact person with the Austrian Red Cross in Krems. Her work combines direct support, school-based awareness activities and creative communication approaches to make young carers visible and support accessible.

Lessons from Launching a Young Carer-Specific Clinical Mental Health Service
Callum Fleming
Little Dreamers and the Young Carer Wellbeing Hub

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Australia
About this presentation
In February 2025, Little Dreamers launched what is believed to be the world’s first clinical mental health service designed specifically for Young Carers aged 4 to 25. This session is a candid account of building it: the co-design process, what has worked, what has been harder than expected, and the measurement gap the field still needs to solve.

Key takeaway

A candid account of building a clinical service where no model existed, including the co-design process with Young Carers, what has been harder than expected, and the measurement gap the field still needs to solve.

About the presenter

Callum Fleming leads the Young Carer Wellbeing Hub at Little Dreamers, overseeing clinical governance and a multidisciplinary team. With five years in community mental health, NDIS and disaster recovery, he brings a trauma-informed, recovery-oriented approach to Young Carer practice.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/callum-fleming-33a092200/

Young Carer Coach – digital networking and support platform: Is social media a gamechanger for making young carers more visible and better connected?
Eva Schiffner & Lara Woitschikowski
An Deiner Seite – Gerhard und Gertrud Schmieder Stiftung

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Germany
About this presentation
The presentation shows how the digital project „Young Carer Coach“ uses social media, participatory approaches, and peer activities to help Young Carers to develop an awareness of their role and connect them with peers. Regarding their social environment, the project functions as an awareness campaign for experts and institutions and joins them together.

Key takeaway

Participants and researchers gain insight into how social media and participatory approaches improve the visibility and support of Young Carers. The presentation also shows how such experiences can be integrated into existing education, social work, and health systems to raise lasting awareness for YC.

About the presenter

Lara Woitschikowski is project manager at An Deiner Seite-Stiftung and works on Young Carer Coach. Her background in non-profit management and communications supports networking and awareness-raising activities. Eva Schiffner is host from Young Carer Coach. She has been caring for her ailing mother since she was 13. She also cared for her father for a time; he passed away in 2024. After completing her master’s degree in education, she is currently pursuing a doctorate at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/an-deiner-seite-gerhard-und-gertrud-schmieder-stiftung/

19:00

–

22:00
Networking Dinner (optional)
Back to day selection

Support, Services & Interventions

Hearing Young Carers: What Support They Receive, Miss, and Wish For
Ella Eronen-Levonen
Turku, Finland
University of Turku
This study explored former young carers’ experiences of support received, missed, and wished for during childhood and adolescence while caring for a family member or other close person. In this interview study were 15 young carers as participant and they were under 30 years old during the interview and had experience of being a young carer in childhood or adolescence. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Ella Eronen-Levonen is a senior lecturer at the Diaconia university of applied sciences and a registered nurse. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies and working on a dissertation focusing on young carers.
JADE, France: A national program of artistic respite workshops for empowering Young Carers
Amarantha Barclay Bourgeois
Paris, France
Association nationale Jeunes AiDants Ensemble ( JADE)
Development of a program theory for the Austrian Youth Red Cross’ Juniorcamp for Young Carers
Helena Arwanitis
Vienna, Austria
University of Vienna
This project reconstructed the mechanisms of impact of the “Juniorcamp” by the Austrian Youth Red Cross for Young Carers using Chen’s program theory framework. Expert interviews and a focus group were analyzed to detect effective interventions and contextual factors, providing deeper insight to better understand what works and why, and therefore strengthening targeted support interventions for Young Carers.
Helena Arwanitis is a member of the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Vienna. She supported the ‘Young Carers’ project headed by Prof. Dr Martin Nagl-Cupal, which was compiling an Austria-wide overview of support programs for Young Carers.
Space to be me: The impact of short breaks on young carers
Dr Jillian Powell
Cardiff, Wales, UK
Carers Trust
This poster presents findings from an evaluation of a Government-funded short-breaks programme for young carers in Wales (UK). Short breaks reduced loneliness, isolation, facilitated peer support, giving young carers time to be themselves beyond their caring roles. The findings emphasise the need for greater recognition of young carers and sustained investment in services that improve wellbeing and support positive futures.
Jillian has over 20 years’ research experience across academia and the voluntary sector, specialising in unpaid carers, disability, health and wellbeing. She now leads research and evaluation at Carers Trust Wales (UK), providing evidence based intervention to improve carers’ lives.
Multi-Agency Collaboration and the Role of Coordinators in Supporting Young Carers in Japan
Yumiko TANAKA
Tokyo, Japan
Executive Director, Carer Works (General Incorporated Association)
Young carer support in Japan requires collaboration across education, healthcare, welfare, care services, and community organizations. This poster examines the role of coordinators in connecting these sectors, building trust with young carers and families, coordinating support, and promoting child-centered approaches that respect each young person’s needs, pace, and voice.
Yumiko Tanaka is a social worker, researcher, and Representative Director of Carers Works in Japan. She has worked extensively on young carer support, research, and policy development, focusing on multi-agency collaboration and community-based support systems.
Interventions for Young Carers in the international scientific literature – A Scoping Review
Viktoria Henze
Neulußheim, Germany
Adult-Centred Systems, Youth-Centred Needs: Service Provider Perspectives on Supporting Young Caregivers in Canada During and Beyond the Pandemic
Cayleigh Sexton
Toronto, Canada
Young Caregivers Association

Siblings, Disability & Family Relationships

Care Deficits and the Loss of Childhood: Young Carers Experiences of Responsibility in Family Care Relations
Anna Amilon
Kalmar, Sweden
Linneaus University, department of social work
Parental burnout, quality of life and social support: associations with caregiving activities and needs of sibling young carers.
Chiara Sacchet
Paris, France
Université Paris Cité
The presence of a person with a disability or an illness-related disability within a household entails significant family and parental adjustments that may influence the roles and needs of sibling young carers. This presentation explores the links between sibling young carers’ needs, caring activities and parental factors such as quality of life, perceived social support and parental burnout.
Chiara Sacchet is a psychotherapist and PhD student at Université Paris Cité (France). Her research mainly focuses on siblings of people with disabilities or illness-related disabilities and how parental factors and family characteristics impact young carers’ needs and caring activities.
More than a Sibling: Emotional and Relational Roles of Young Carers of Neurodivergent Siblings
Jemma Nombre
Calgary, Canada
University of Calgary
Siblings as Young Carers in Japan: A Qualitative Comparison of Siblings’ and Parents’ Understandings of Care Responsibilities in Families of People with Disabilities
Risa Matsumoto
Kanazawa, Japan
Hokuriku Gakuin University
This study explores how siblings of people with disabilities experience and understand caregiving responsibilities during childhood. It also compares the perspectives of those siblings and their parents. The findings highlight differences in how caregiving roles are perceived within families and suggest the importance of recognizing siblings’ experiences when identifying and supporting young carers.
Risa Matsumoto is an Associate Professor at Hokuriku Gakuin University, Japan. Her research focuses on siblings of people with disabilities and young carers. She is also actively involved in community-based support and awareness-raising activities for siblings and young carers.
Between Exposure and Caregiving: Exploring the Experiences of Adolescents and Young Adults with a Sibling Affected by Mental Disorders
MATHIEU Sasha
Paris, France
Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé

Parental Illness, Cancer & Palliative Care

How can we improve the identification and support of young carers with a parent receiving palliative care ? An exploratory study
Morgane MESPLEDE
Paris, France
University of Paris Cité
This poster presents the preliminary results of a study aiming to explore the experience of families in which a parent is receiving palliative care and at least one child under 25 is likely to be helping them. The findings from these interviews will then be discussed in focus groups with healthcare professionals working with palliative care patients, in order to reflect on their role in identifying and supporting these young people and their families.
Morgane Mesplede is a psychologist and PhD student in psychology in France. For several years, she has been working on the topic of young carers, and more specifically on those facing the end of life and death of the person they care for.
Who cares for the young carers? Invisible needs and insufficient support among young people facing a relative’s illness.
Pauline JUSTIN
Lille, France
University of Lille
Better identifying and supporting young carers having a parent with illness: Impact of an awareness campaign for professionals and parental workshops
Fiona Lesot & Julie Glatz
Paris, France
Université Paris Cité
The EVA pilot study comprised two actions: an awareness campaign for health professionals, delivered through three videos on identification, communication about caring activities, and referrals; and two group workshops for ill parents addressing awareness of their children’s caring activities and perceived resources. These complementary interventions show potential for improving the identification and support of YCs and their families.
Fiona Lesot and Julie Glatz are PhD students at Université Paris Cité (France) and members of the JAID team. Their research aims to improve the identification and support of YCs in France.
Compassionate camp-based support for children in families affected by parental cancer: long-term practice insights with Europa Donna
Rok Kuralt
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Slovensko društvo Hospic, in cooperation with Europa Donna Slovenia
Supporting children of parents with a life-threatening illness: a scoping review
Nina Malmström
Gothenburg, Sweden
University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Academy
Children of parents with a life-threatening illness may experience emotional strain, uncertainty and increased responsibilities. This scoping review mapped existing support interventions and identified six interventions addressing psychosocial support, psychoeducation and peer support. Most were developed in oncology settings, highlighting a need for timely, accessible and proactive support tailored to families affected by progressive neurological diseases.
Nina Malmström, PhD, is an Assistant Researcher at the Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Her research focuses on improving support for children and families living with parental ALS.
Experiences and needs of children and young adults who are living with and caring for a parent with young onset dementia: an umbrella review protocol 
Sabine Metzing, Stefanie Stober, Ozlem Koseoglu-Ornek, Claudia Dinand
Germany
Witten/Herdecke University
This planned umbrella review will synthesise evidence on the experiences and needs of children and young adults aged up to 24 living with and caring for a parent with young-onset dementia. These young carers may face changing family roles, emotional distress and anticipatory grief. Following JBI methodology, the review will systematically identify, critically appraise and narratively synthesise existing systematic reviews to clarify the evidence and identify knowledge gaps.
Living with a parent facing cancer: A qualitative study of challenges and needs of young adult carers
Julie Glatz
Paris, France
Université Paris Cité
Parental cancer can significantly impact young adult children, yet young adult carers’ (YACs) experiences in oncology remain poorly understood. This study explored the support YACs provide to a parent with cancer, alongside their challenges and needs. Semi-structured interviews with 14 YACs (Mage = 22.2) revealed six key themes, highlighting both substantial support and the demands associated with caring.
Julie Glatz is a clinical psychologist and a PhD student at Université Paris Cité. Her research focuses on adolescents and young adults caring for a parent with cancer. She previously studied ill parents’ perceptions of the support provided by their children.

Health, Wellbeing & the Experience of Caring

Understanding Young Carers in Germany: Coping patterns, challenges and support needs
Dr. Veronika Anselmann
Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
Insitute of Nursing Science, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd
This qualitative study explores how young carers in Germany experience caregiving, cope with family responsibilities, and identify support needs. Based on eleven narrative-problem-centred interviews and comparative typology, findings reveal three coping patterns: self-efficacy-oriented, duty-oriented burdened, and functionally overwhelmed. Results highlight cumulative strain and the need for visible, tailored school-based and psychosocial support.
Prof. Dr. Veronika Anselmann is Professor of Nursing Science with a focus on nursing education and heads the Institute of Nursing Science at the PH Schwäbisch Gmünd. Her research focuses on care-related burden and the development of digital and AI-based support approaches for people with care responsibilities.
How do young adolescents carers perceive health ? Links with quality of life and the support they provide
Claire Jaby
Paris, France
Université Paris Cité
This study presents a researcher-developed questionnaire assessing adolescents’ perceptions of physical and mental illness, based on the Self-Regulation Model by Leventhal et al. (1992). One item per theoretical dimension is compared between young carers and young non-carers to explore differences in illness perceptions and their associations with quality of life and the support provided by young carers.
Clinical psychologist and Ph.D. candidate in psychology. My thesis focuses on middle school students’ perceptions of illness, specifically those of young carers, to explore whether these perceptions may be linked to their quality of life and the support they provide to their relatives.
Young carers in Finland: Reflections from two waves of qualitative longitudinal participatory data gathering
Aleksi Järnström & Tiina Sihto
Joensuu, Finland
University of Eastern Finland
Our project “Young carers in Finland” focuses on adolescents and young adults aged 15–24 who provide care, support, help, and/or assistance to (a) family member(s) or kin on a regular basis. We analyse the experiences of young carers by taking a qualitative longitudinal participatory approach. In our presentation, we reflect on the first two waves of data gathering. As a research question, we ask: what kind of knowledge is created when using qualitative longitudinal participatory methods when doing research with young carers?
Aleksi Järnström works as a doctoral researcher in the project “Young carers in Finland”. Tiina Sihto works as an academy research fellow and PI of the project “Young carers in Finland”. Both Järnström & Sihto work at the University of Eastern Finland.
Former young carers and the impact on early caregiving experiences over the lifespan. A Grounded Theory Study
Maren Roling
Osnabrück, Deutschland
Witten/Herdecke University
Findings from the poster provide insight into family dynamics, caregiving responsibilities, and the long-term impact of early caregiving. The former young carers took on responsibilities they did not choose, and they often took on the parental role. In this role, they sometimes felt overwhelmed and left alone. Furthermore, the former young carers describe how they were deprived of a normal childhood.
Maren Roling is a research assistant at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. For many years she worked as a research assistant at Witten/Herdecke University and was a fellow at the FamiLe Research College – Family Health Across the Life Course.
Health consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic for young and young adult carers: a mixed method systematic review protocol
Kaisa Johanna Marin
Espoo, Finland
Tampere University, Unit of Health Sciences
Why Are Girls More Likely to Become Young Carers? A Gender Perspective.
Kira Anna Thomasberger
Vienna, Austria
Master Student at University of Vienna & Member of Young Carers Community Austria

Young Adult Carers, Education & Transitions

Young (adult) Carers as students in nursing professions and their biographical experience with the end of life.
Evelyn Hutter
Vienna
University of Vienna
This poster highlights the biographical experiences of Young (adult) Carers with the end of life, using qualitative data from 13 storytelling cafés on “Stories about End of Life’”. It also describes storytelling cafés as a biography-oriented didactic format enabling Young (adult) Carers and teachers to share and reflect on palliative-care responsibilities, recognising these experiences as specialised knowledge resources for professional practice.
Evelyn Hutter focuses on care professionals’ biographical experiences of palliative care and biography-oriented, participatory research methods. Her ongoing doctoral dissertation explores nursing students’ pre-, extra-, and early experiences of death, dying, and end-of-life care in educational settings and professional practice.
Recognising the Diversity of Young Adult Carers: Caregiving Profiles and Mental Health
Y-Lane Noémie Zaine
Montréal, Canada
Université de Sherbrooke
This study examines the diverse experiences of young adult carers aged 18-25 in Québec, Canada. Drawing on data from 1,010 participants, we identified four distinct caregiving profiles and examined their associations with positive and negative mental health outcomes, caregiving-related impacts, and self-identification as a caregiver. Findings highlight the diversity of young carers’ realities and the importance of tailored support.
Y-Lane Noémie Zaine is a PhD candidate in psychoeducation at Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. As a caregiver herself, her personal experience shapes her research on young carers’ psychosocial well-being and support needs, with particular attention to sexual and gender minority identities.
Working with young adult carers to identify their research priorities, a photo elicitation project
Erica Ferris
Kent, United Kingdom
University of Kent
How Coffee, Cake and Conversation Led to an Infographic of Support for Student Carers in University
Dr Breda Moloney
Limerick, Ireland
University of Limerick
This Poster outlines the work undertaken by the project team from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, at the University of Limerick in collaboration with Family Carers Ireland on raising awareness of student carers and the development of the ‘Infographic of Support for Student Carers in University’.
Dr Breda Moloney’s interests and research focuses on palliative care and the experiences of carers across the life course, including young carers, student carers, and family carers in employment. As well as, volunteering with Family Carers Ireland as a facilitator with young carer support groups, Dr Moloney teaches and facilitates undergraduate and postgraduate nursing and midwifery students across a range of subject areas in the University of Limerick.
Support for Young Carers by Scholarship-Providing Organizations
Kumiko Morita
Tokyo in Japan
Care Japan,Rissho University
Growing up and Career Decisions in the Context of Caregiving Experiences during Childhood and Adolescence
Peter Huttar
Vienna
Department of Nursing Science University of Vienna
From Recognition to Action: Digital Support Groups for Young Adult Carers
Malin Björkquist
Sweden
Neurological Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Young Carers and Education: Insights from a Broad Systematic Review
Anne Stöcker
Kassel, Germany
University of Kassel
The poster presents a broad systematic review of English- and German-language research on young carers and education. It examines how educational experiences and outcomes are described across studies, including research in which schooling is only a secondary topic. The poster will provide an overview of the existing evidence and identify recurring patterns and gaps for future research and school practice.
Anne Stöcker is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kassel. Her research focuses on sociology of disability, inclusion and quantitative methods. Her current work includes research on young carers and their experiences in school.

Recognition, Rights, Policy & Participation

Concepts That Shape Support: A Comparative Concept Analysis of Young Carers, Children as Next of Kin, and Children as Relatives
Kirsi Hokkila
Turku, Finland
University of Turku
Advancing Recognition and Support for Young Caregivers in Canada: Insights from the First Canadian Young Caregivers Conference
Cayleigh Sexton
Toronto, Canada
Young Caregivers Association
We are ZoJong!: an organization and community for and by young carers
Leda Decleyre
Ghent, Belgium
ZoJong!
Young adult carers in Flanders taking action for social change: a qualitative study on a grassroots organization
Lena Van Bergen
Ghent, Belgium
Ghent University and ZoJong!
Young Carers in International Child Rights Law: State Obligations Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Stefanie Gröhl
Halle (Saale), Germany
The poster illustrates the obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and demonstrates that the contracting states are not fulfilling their obligations to a sufficient extent.
Embedding young carers experience-based knowledge in policy development
Tara Knegt
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Movisie
Young Carers: We All Know Who They Are… Don’t We? A Scoping Review of Definitions and Identification Criteria
Ana Meireles
Porto, Portugal
Universidade Lusíada
At a conference devoted entirely to young carers, it may seem provocative to ask: do we actually agree on who a young carer is? This scoping review maps how empirical studies define and identify young carers, showing how conceptual inconsistency shapes prevalence estimates, research comparability, service access, and policy. A deceptively simple question with far-reaching consequences.
Ana Meireles is a professor and researcher at Lusíada University/CIPD. From a psychological perspective, her work on young carers spans identification, prevalence, psychosocial impact and support. She has contributed to several projects in this field and currently leads CARE4_YC.PT, aiming to connect young carer research, practice, and policy in Portugal.

09:30

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10:30
Plenary: Loss and Grief
A plenary with experts and young carers focusing on the topic of loss and grief that young carers experience – even before the death of a loved one.

10:30

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11:30
Guided Poster Walk
Explore more than 40 posters and take choose a guided poster tour through a poster section that speaks to your interests.

11:30

–

13:00
Presentation Sessions 3
Recognition
Embedding Young Carer Voices in Research, Practice and Policy

How to positively involve young carers in advocacy, research and policy change?
Inge Romeijn and Marjet Karssenberg
JMZ Pro Klankbordgroep

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The Netherlands
About this presentation
The JMZ Pro Klankbordgroep (national advisory group of young carers from the Netherlands) amplifies the voices of young carers in policy, research and media. Drawing on our lived experiences, we developed recommendations for meaningful involvement of young carers. In this session, we share practical tips to ensure young carers are engaged as equal partners, making their contributions valued beyond an emotional story or a simple “tick box.”

Key takeaway

Learn practical tips to ensure young carers are engaged as equal partners in advocacy, research and policy change, making sure their contributions valued beyond a simple “tick box”.

About the presenter

We have lived experience as young carers. Inge (24) cared for her mother, who lived with bipolar disorder and long-term memory loss and sadly passed away last year. Marjet (25) cares for a younger brother, who has Down syndrome. Since 2018, we have been involved in advocacy work and are members of national (JMZ Pro Klankbordgroep) and European (Eurocarers) advisory groups. Professionally, Inge works as a child psychologist, while Marjet works as a policy advisor for a municipality.

Understanding the power of youth voice to influence system change with young carers
Scott Bailey-Locke and young carers
Gloucestershire Young Carers

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England
About this presentation
Over 30 years, Gloucestershire Young Carers has embedded participation to help young carers shape local and national policy. Hear from young carers on how through forums, training and innovative programmes, young carers have influenced professional practice, improve identification of hidden carers, and co-produced and influenced systemic change grounded in lived experience and ethical participation.

Key takeaway

Hear from young carers themselves on the different ways they have helped influence systemic change; how to capture every young carers voice ethically; and the value it holds for both professionals and young people themselves.

About the presenter

Scott has a wealth of professional and lived experience, using this to support young people to share their stories, develop their skills and provide them with opportunities to create lasting change for young carers everywhere.
Scott Bailey-Locke

Lived Experience in Young Carer Research – a Whole Family Approach
Sara Gowen
Sheffield Young Carers

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UK
About this presentation
In our research, we coordinated a Young Carers Research Advisory Group and a Parent Research Advisory Group to inform and develop all aspects of our study. We will share this innovative approach to lived experience involvement, explore ‘You Said We Did’, acknowledging the strengths, knowledge and skills of cared for parents as well as young carers.

Key takeaway

We hope that participants will learn more about involving lived experience participants in designing and developing research as well as being research participants. Participants will learn about our approach to public involvement and we hope to learn about their experience of involved lived experience participants.

About the presenter

Sara Gowen has worked in youth/community work for over 35 years, and is currently Chief Executive of Sheffield Young Carers. She has been public involvement lead in two national research projects in collaboration with the London School of Economics.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-gowen-78b990190

Turning Participation into Practice: Co-Creating with Young Carers
Therése Sturesson & Klara Gustavsson
Maskrosbarn

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Sweden
About this presentation
Maskrosbarn is a Swedish NGO supporting young people growing up in vulnerable home situations. This presentation explores how young carers’ voices and experiences can drive concrete change in practice, policy, and support systems. We will share how we collaborate with municipalities, social services, and national authorities to strengthen youth participation and influence.

Key takeaway

Discover practical examples of how co-creation with young people can turn their experiences into accessible, user-informed tools and help create meaningful changes in support systems. Gain inspiration and concrete ideas for strengthening youth participation in your own organisation and context.

About the presenter

Therése Sturesson is co-founder of Maskrosbarn, founded in 2005 from her and her co-founder’s own experiences of growing up with parental substance abuse and mental illness. What began as a small school project has grown into a nationwide organisation with over 250 employees and volunteers. Today, Therése continues to shape its work as Head of Development. Klara Gustavsson is a Development Officer at Maskrosbarn, working to turn young people’s experiences and ideas into practical tools and methods. She develops initiatives together with young people with lived experience and works to strengthen professionals’ knowledge and ability to provide accessible and responsive support.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/klaragustavsson/
Recognition
Learning Across Borders: Policy, Practice and Partnership

A Nordic Model for Supporting Young Carers: Turning Collaboration into Change
Agnes Lundström (sweden) Jonna Skand (Finland) & Mary-Ann Esperaas (Norway)
Nordic Network for Children as Next of Kin

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Norway
About this presentation
What if countries didn’t have to build support systems for young carers from scratch? Explore a Nordic framework developed from shared knowledge and best practices across the Nordic countries. Participants will gain insights into how this framework can accelerate progress and provide a foundation for strengthening support for young carers in their own context.

Key takeaway

Participants will gain practical insights into how Nordic collaboration can accelerate better support for young carers and inform action in their own context.

About the presenter

Jonna Skand is a Specialist in Family Work at the Folkhälsan Association in Helsinki, Finland. She has extensive experience working with young carers and children as next of kin. Agnes Lundström is a program Officer at the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, leading national efforts to strengthen support for children as next of kin. Qualified social worker with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a background in child protection. Mary-Ann Esperaas is a Senior Advisor at BarnsBeste, the National Competence Network for Children as Next of Kin in Norway. She holds a Master’s degree in Mental Health Work and has professional experience from both the child welfare and mental health sectors
BarnsBeste

Young carers in legal and policy frameworks: a comparative perspective from the Czech Republic and France
Klára Procházková
Université Aix Marseille

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France
About this presentation
Recognition of young carers varies considerably across Europe and remains closely linked to the broader legal recognition of informal caregiving. A comparative analysis of the Czech Republic and France explores how national legal and policy frameworks shape young carers’ visibility, identification and access to support, situated within European and international human rights standards.

Key takeaway

Why do young carers receive increasing attention in some countries while remaining largely invisible in others? Explore how differences in the legal and policy recognition of informal caregiving may help explain these contrasting patterns.

About the presenter

Klara Procházková is a PhD researcher at Aix-Marseille University and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Fellow. She also works as a lawyer at Forum for Human Rights. Her research focuses on informal caregiving, comparative social policy and international and European human rights law.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kl%C3%A1ra-proch%C3%A1zkov%C3%A1-32143322a/

The Development of Young Carer Support Policies in Japan and South Korea: Transnational Advocacy through Young Carer Participation
Mao Saito
Ritsumeikan University

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Japan
About this presentation
This presentation examines the development of young carer support policies in Japan and South Korea, focusing on how emerging transnational advocacy networks and bilateral exchanges between young adult carers contribute to policy learning. It explores the positioning of young carer support within familialistic welfare regimes and the translation of lived experience across national borders.

Key takeaway

Participants can look forward to a non‑Western comparative perspective on young carer policy that highlights how experiential knowledge and advocacy by young adult carers can shape social policy in familialistic welfare regimes. The presentation offers practical insights on designing transnational exchanges as sites of policy learning and norm change.

About the presenter

Mao Saito is an academic researcher based in Japan, specialising in care ethics, social welfare policy, and youth studies. She is the founder of YCARP, the Young Carers Action Research Project, a participatory research initiative focusing on East Asian policy learning.

Cross-border collaboration to support young carers: Lessons from Belgium and the Netherlands
Pieter Vanreybrouck (steunpunt mantelzorg BE), Evelyn Geerdens (Samana BE), Michael Buynsters (NL)
Stichting JMZ Pro; The Netherlands. Samana and Steunpunt Mantelzorg; Belgium

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The Netherlands and Belgium
About this presentation
Young carers often face similar challenges, regardless of national borders. However, policies, awareness of the issue, and the practical support available vary from country to country. In both Belgium and the Netherlands, around 20–25% of young people provide informal care. To learn from one another, Samana and Steunpunt Mantelzorg (BE) and stichting JMZ Pro (NL) have launched a cross-border collaboration and exchange initiative. Together, they share experiences, best practices, and practical tools to strengthen awareness, recognition, and support for young carers in both countries.

Key takeaway

We will share insights from Belgium and the Netherlands on policy, practice, and awareness initiatives. We hope to encourage international participants to consider cross-border learning and collaboration.

About the presenter

Pieter Vanreybrouck is Expert Mantelzorg at Steunpunt Mantelzorg (BE) Evelyn Geerdens is Education Worker Young Carers at Samana (BE) Michael Buynsters grew up as a young carer, looking after his sister with a severe intellectual disability and his chronically ill mother. Drawing on that experience, he advocates for young carers: he coordinates the national Strategic Young Carers Alliance in the Netherlands and represents young and young adult carers on the board of Eurocarers.
Recognition
Beyond the Diagnosis: Understanding Young Carers’ Family Lives

About the reality of life for young relatives with a parent suffering from dementia: sharing experiences and gaining strength in self-help
Melanie Liebsch
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Frontotemporale Degeneration e.V.

|

Deutschland
About this presentation
The performance is about the clinical picture of frontotemporal dementia, raising awareness of the needs of those affected and their relatives and focusing on the reality of life of young relatives. Based on my personal history, I will speak about the design of needs-oriented group offers in a self-help context. I want to convey confidence, empowerment and the courage to imitate – because the magic of self-help is real!

Key takeaway

Learn about the clinical picture of frontotemporal dementia and how young family members can cope with it especially in group settings.

About the presenter

FTD has been a part of my life since childhood; my father fell ill in his mid-fifties, when I was ten years old. Drawing on my personal experiences, giving a voice to affected families has become a cause close to my heart. I founded and lead different self-help groups, I advise young relatives and serve as a volunteer board member for the Alzheimer Society of Baden-Württemberg and for the DGFTD e.V.

From silence to recognition: young carers growing up with loss and parental mental Illness
Janina Fryckholm and Bonnie Friedh
Children´s Welfare Foundation Sweden

|

Sweden
About this presentation
Drawing on our lived experiences as young carers, this presentation explores growing up in families affected by death, mental illness, and substance use. We reflect on the realities of hidden caregiving, the impact of being seen, or overlooked, and why early recognition, children’s voices, and coordinated support are essential for improving outcomes for young carers.

Key takeaway

Discover what helped, and what was missing, from the perspective of two young carers. Take away key insights on how professionals can recognise, listen to, and support children growing up with caring responsibilities.

About the presenter

Janina Fryckholm is a children’s culture specialist and project manager at Children´s Welfare Foundation Sweden. She develops methods that strengthen children’s participation, with a particular focus on young children, and leads the foundation’s work on good-dialouges (BRA-samtal) for children aged 3–6. Bonnie Friedh is a project manager at Children´s Welfare Foundation Sweden with extensive experience supporting children as next of kin. She trains professionals and works to ensure children’s voices are heard and translated into practice.

KIDSDEM – Disempowering the disease. Relief and Empowerment through Educational Interventions.
Anna-Magdalena Schorling
Ambulantes Jugendhilfezentrum, VINZENZ gGmbH

|

Germany
About this presentation
The workshop presents the results of the three-year KIDSDEM project, a group program for young carers (aged 13–21) with a parent living with dementia. It highlights the project’s achievements and challenges while providing practical insights for developing targeted support services, group programs and networking structures for this previously underserved group of young carers.

Key takeaway

Learn practical tools to provide the best possible support to young carers of a parent with dementia but also how you can apply them to young carers with a different background.

About the presenter

Anna-Magdalena Schorling is a social worker who has been working in child/youth welfare services for the past eight years, specializing in child protection. Her expertise focuses on supporting families affected by parental mental illness and facilitating support groups for young carers.
VINZENZ

“Because all the problems she’s struggling with end up falling on me too” – children of parents with chronic physical illnesses
Birgit Behrisch
Catholic University of Applied Sciences Berlin

|

Germany
About this presentation
The FamGesund participatory research project (BMBF, Germany, 2021–24) explored how families cope when a parent develops a serious chronic illness. Twelve two-generation family interviews examined communication, support and learnings. Young people described themselves as “partially affected”, highlighting their distinct needs and experiences, including limited information, early responsibility, altered family normality and the need to distance themselves when overwhelmed.

Key takeaway

Learn more about what young people tell their parents in family interviews about the situation of young caregivers, and how science can provide a space for these conversations.

About the presenter

Birgit Behrisch is a professor of education and, as part of her research, interviews families with members with disabilities on various topics; she frequently conducts participatory research.
Recognition
Turning Experience into Action: Young Carers as Changemakers II

What I wish my teachers knew: A young carers perspective
Krista Cartlidge
MYTIME Young Carers

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
This study used Youth Participatory Action Research to place six young carers at the centre of an inquiry into their educational experiences. Rather than being researched, they became co-researchers. Generating data, analysing findings, and designing solutions. What they produced challenges how schools understand and respond to young carers, and makes the case for systemic rather than individual change.

Key takeaway

Leave with a new framework for understanding the hidden cognitive and emotional landscape young carers carry into school every day, and concrete evidence-based recommendations for the systemic changes that would actually make a difference.

About the presenter

Krista Cartlidge is CEO of MYTIME Young Carers and a former Deputy Headteacher. Under her leadership MYTIME has grown from 75 to over 3,000 beneficiaries. She is completing a PhD at Bournemouth University exploring young carers and education through a participatory research lens.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-cartlidge-a720b5aa/

From Invisible to Influential: A Young Carer’s Journey to Empowerment”
Brianna McKnight
Mind Australia

|

Australia
About this presentation
Brianna shares her journey from growing up as a young carer for her mother, who experienced significant mental health challenges, to becoming Young Carer Project Lead at Mind Australia. Her presentation explores the hidden responsibilities, isolation and resilience of young carers, and demonstrates how lived experience can influence services, strengthen support and create meaningful, lasting change across services and communities.

Key takeaway

Gain a deeper understanding of the hidden realities young carers face and the resilience they develop. Learn how lived experience can be transformed into meaningful action that strengthens services and ensures young carers feel seen, heard and supported.

About the presenter

Brianna McKnight is a Young Carer Project Lead and lived experience advocate with a Master of Counselling. Her work is grounded in trauma-informed, relational and peer-based practice, with a focus on elevating young carers’ voices and creating meaningful change.
www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-m-91528b23a

From Young Carer to founder: turning experience into change
Natasha Hunziker
Caring4YoungCarers

|

Switzerland
About this presentation
Natasha’s presentation shares her journey from growing up as a young carer to founding Caring4YoungCarers an organisation that advocates for recognition, support, and systemic change. It challenges negative-focused narratives by showing how young carers’ lived experience can foster resilience, leadership, and unique expertise that should be recognised as a valuable resource for shaping more effective support systems.

Key takeaway

Look forward to an honest personal perspective, discover how young carers can become powerful agents of change, and leave with practical ideas for meaningfully involving lived experience and young carers in research, policy, and practice.

About the presenter

Natasha Hunziker has more than 12 years of experience as a young carer, starting at the age of 8 when her mother faced mental health issues and cancer. In 2025 she founded Caring4YoungCarers with the aim to share her experiences and knowledge to help for other young carers in Switzerland and beyond.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashahunziker/
Recognition
Schools as Places of Recognition

Identifying and supporting children as next of kin in school – A web based Intervention for and with school nurses in Sweden
Pauline Johansson and Eva Nordqvist
Pauline Johansson, Swedish Family Care Competence Center and Linnaeus University; Eva Nordqvist, Swedish Family Care Competence Center, Sweden

|

Sweden
About this presentation
By using a blended learning network approach, a web‑based educational intervention was developed to provide school nurses with knowledge and tools to identify, understand and support children as next-of-kin, thereby promoting their mental health in school environment. Children as next-of-kin contributed to the development by reviewing the educational material. The educational intervention and results from the evaluation will be presented.

Key takeaway

School nurses play a central and unique role in identifying and supporting children who are next-of-kin, a role that requires both professional confidence and knowledge. In-depth and continuously updated knowledge about children who are next-of-kin is essential for school nurses to effectively identify and support these children.

About the presenter

Pauline Johansson is a Registered Nurse and Associate Professor of Health Sciences at Linnaeus University and works as a researcher and project manager in the field of children as next of kin at Swedish Family Care Competence Center. Eva Nordqvist is a Social Workers and works as a facilitator/practitioner in the field of children as next of kin at Swedish Family Care Competence Center.
www.linkedin.com/in/pauline-johansson-904235a6

How are schoolchildren doing at home? – A Swedish interview study with school nurses on working with children as next of kin
Pauline Johansson
Swedish Family Care Competence Center and Linnaeus University, Sweden

|

Sweden
About this presentation
This study shows that school nurses observe that many children who are next-of-kin assume substantial responsibilities at home, experience psychological and somatic symptoms, and struggle academically. School nurses play a central role in supporting these children through relationship-building and providing a stable adult presence. Support is largely compensatory, including food, rest, structured routines, and tailored educational adjustments.

Key takeaway

School nurses play a central and unique role in identifying and supporting children who are next of kin, a role that requires both professional confidence and knowledge. In-depth and continuously updated knowledge about children who are next of kin is essential for school nurses to effectively identify and support these children.

About the presenter

Pauline Johansson is a Registered Nurse and Associate Professor of Health Sciences at Linnaeus University and works as a researcher and project manager in the field of children as next of kin at Swedish Family Care Competence Center.
www.linkedin.com/in/pauline-johansson-904235a6

“Young Carer Awareness Sessions” in Schools in Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Tomoko Shibuya and Yui Takahashi
Seikei University, Carers Japan

|

Japan
About this presentation
This presentation will discuss how schools can encourage students to consider how they support young carers who may happen to be their classmates. The Saitama Board of Education implemented “young carer awareness sessions” in 70 schools, where former young carers share their caring experiences. A total of 15,920 students participated in the sessions between April 2021 and March 2026.

Key takeaway

Learn how to create supportive environments for young carers within schools and their local communities to increase awareness and understanding of the needs of young carers.

About the presenter

Tomoko Shibuya is a sociology professor at Seikei University. She earned an MA from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a PhD from the University of Tokyo. She published her book “Young Carers” in Japan in 2018. Yui Takahashi was a young carer for her mother with higher brain dysfunction. She holds a BA in physical therapy from the International University of Health and Welfare in Japan and is currently studying social welfare to become a social worker.

Piloting a classroom-based intervention to recognise and support young carers aged 5-8
Deborah Smart
Newcastle University

|

UK
About this presentation
The feasibility of recruiting schools and delivering the intervention within classroom settings, alongside early insights into the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention among pupils and school staff will be presented.

Key takeaway

Learn about a story based intervention for primary school age young carers that can be adapted into established classroom based education approaches.

About the presenter

Deborah is a Researcher and PhD student interested in how interventions for young carers can improve emotional well-being. She has 13 years practice experience in the voluntary sector supporting young carers and their families.
Understanding Young Caring: New Conceptual Perspectives

Building agreement on the meaning of ‘excessive’ or ‘inappropriate’ care: a consensus study
Dr Lauren Herlitz
University College London

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
We present findings from a consensus study to agree the meaning of ‘excessive’ or ‘inappropriate’ care carried out by young carers, according to the perspectives of young carers, parents of young carers, and health, social care, and school professionals in England.

Key takeaway

Learn key principles for identifying excessive or inappropriate care carried out by young carers.

About the presenter

I am a public health researcher, specialising in qualitative methods. I have expertise in the access to and delivery of health and education services for children, young people and families with ongoing health and care needs.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-herlitz-5a65b7313/

The Reconfiguration of Discourses Constructing Young Carers as a Social Problem
YUCHUN ZHANG
Kyoto University

|

Japan
About this presentation
This paper examines how discourse in Japan changed over time as various claims-makers defined children who care for family members as “young carers,” framed their situation as a social problem, and identified them as a group in need of public support.

Key takeaway

See how researchers, advocates, politicians, and government agencies reshaped the meaning of “young carer” as the issue entered Japanese policy. The presentation traces a shift from structural concerns about family-based care to policies focused on early identification and support for individual children.

About the presenter

Yuchun Zhang is a PhD student in Department of Sociology at Kyoto University. Her research focuses on the social construction of children who provide family care in East Asia, particularly in China, Japan, and South Korea. She examines how their caregiving is differently defined, represented, and evaluated across societies.

Being a Young Carer: Does It Mean Being Parentified? An Ambivalent Experience with Divergent Associations with Young People’s Quality of Life
Aude Villatte, Geneviève Piché, Rima Habib, Aurélie Untas, Géraldine Dorard et Marjorie Biaud
Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès (France)

|

FR
About this presentation
Young carers are often assumed to be parentified and to experience parental disengagement. Among 700 Quebec adolescents, parentification was moderately associated with caring responsibilities but unrelated to parental support. It showed no direct association with quality of life, although positive and negative caring experiences mediated this relationship in opposite directions, highlighting the fundamentally ambivalent nature of parentification.

Key takeaway

Challenge common assumptions about young carers by exploring how parentification, parental support, and caring experiences are related. Discover why the subjective experience of caring, rather than caring responsibilities alone, is key to understanding young carers’ quality of life.

About the presenter

Aude Villatte is Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès (France). Her research focuses on young carers, family relationships, psychosocial development, and participatory qualitative research with children, adolescents, and families.

The Changing Worlds of Young Carers in History
Prof. Dr. Katja Patzel-Mattern
Heidelberg University, Department of History

|

Germany
About this presentation
This presentation will examine the changing concepts of childhood to allow an understanding of the societal circumstances under which the concept of Young Carers as a group emerged. While they have existed across all epochs, it was only with the modern concept of a child’s role in familial care relationships the term ‘Young Carer’ developed and gained societal acceptance.

Key takeaway

Participants can learn how changing perceptions of childhood and the institutionalization of care changed the lived reality and perception of young carers in modern history.

About the presenter

Katja Patzel-Mattern is Professor for Economic and Social History at Heidelberg University. Her research focuses on economic and social transformation processes since the industrialization. She currently leads the interdisciplinary project “Who Cares? Changing Family and Care Relationships”.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katja-patzel-mattern-26598b1a8/
Recognition
Understanding Diverse Support Needs of Young Carers

Training Needs of Young Adult Carers in Palliative Situations: Evidence from a Collaborative Qualitative Study
Sylvia Zimmers & Amarantha BARCLAY
Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens

|

France
About this presentation
Family caregivers’ training needs in French palliative care remain poorly documented, particularly those of young adult carers. This exploratory qualitative study used interviews and focus groups with 18 caregivers recruited through national associations. Reflexive thematic analysis identified barriers, facilitators, priority content, and preferred formats. The presentation will examine how young adult carers’ accounts (4/18) are situated across these themes.

Key takeaway

1. Reflect on how collaborative research partnerships with peer caregivers can inform the design, framing and dissemination of caregiver support programs. 2. Consider practical implications for making palliative caregiver training more accessible, visible and responsive to young adult carers.

About the presenter

Sylvia Zimmers is an Associate Professor at the Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens, Paris and a member of LPPS at Université Paris Cité. Her research in clinical health psychology focuses on patients’ and caregivers’ adjustment to illness, vulnerability factors, and psychological resources. Amarantha Barclay Bourgeois is currently  co- director of the association française des Aidants and director of the national association Jeunes AiDants Ensemble. As a caregiver for 27 years to her eldest daughter, she advocates for the rights of all caregivers.

Balancing Acts: the reality for young carers with SEND.
Lia Main
MYTIME Young Carers

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
This presentation explores the connection between young carers and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Looking at the report findings of Balancing Acts: the reality for young carers with SEND, it highlights the data, the challenges in identifying these children and the importance of providing appropriate support to ensure their needs are recognised and addressed effectively.

Key takeaway

Investigate the intersection between young carers and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), using available data to understand the size and needs of this group. Identify practical approaches to improve the identification and support of these children.

About the presenter

Lia is a former teacher who trained as a SENCo and worked in a SEND school before joining the MYTIME team.
Lia Main

Faces of Loneliness; Experiences of Loneliness and Stigmatization in young family caregiving; results from literature and interviews.
Erica Witkamp
Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Research Centre Innovations in Care

|

The Netherlands
About this presentation
In this presentation, I will discuss our literature review and interview-based research into loneliness amongst informal carers. Young informal carers experience loneliness on various levels: in relation to the care recipient, in relation to their peers, and in relation to their family. These experiences are influenced by a range of experiences of stigmatisation. What does this mean in terms of support options?

Key takeaway

Find out more about the importance of a socio-ecological approach to meeting the support needs of young carers

About the presenter

Prof. Dr. Erica Witkamp has a professional background in nursing. She currently works as applied research professor on ‘care for family caregiving’. Her focus includes (1) the support of family members and (2) the collaboration of family caregivers with patients and professionals. Her projects include various contexts and target groups, such as students with family caregiving tasks, and families of persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), of older persons, and of persons in the palliative phase of a terminal disease.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-witkamp-a7698b16/

How children describe health problems in their families: Implication to better identify young carers
Fiona LESOT
Université Paris Cité

|

France
About this presentation
Identifying YCs under 11 remains a complex challenge. One key issue lies in children’s ability to verbalize their relatives’ health problems, as comprehension of illness develops gradually throughout childhood. The aim of this presentation is to examine how children describe their relatives’ health problems, in order to refine identification strategies and improve early identification of YCs.

Key takeaway

Understand how children describe their relatives’ health problems in diverse ways, and how these insights can help improve identification strategies for younger YCs.

About the presenter

Fiona Lesot is a second-year PhD student in Psychology at Université Paris Cité (France). Her research focuses on young carers, particularly children aged 6 to 11, and aims to improve their identification and support within primary school settings.
www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-lesot-427819253

13:00

–

13:45
Lunch

14:00

–

15:30
Presentation Sessions 4
Recognition
Missed Opportunities for Change – A Holistic Approach to Supporting Young Carers
Sarah Jones
Access Sport, United Kingdom
UK
Using a real case study, Sarah will share an in-depth exploration of a series of missed opportunities to identify and support a young carer within a family setting in the UK. Attendees will engage in discussions on the need for holistic, multi-service approaches and the impact of when opportunities to support families and young carers are historically missed.
Recognition
Digital Tools and AI for Young Carer Support

Mental Helpy: Responsible AI When No One Else Is Awake
Dr. Christian Stein
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin

|

Germany
About this presentation
Young carers often seek help at 2 a.m. — when no one is available. Mental Helpy (mentalhelpy.com) offers responsible, AI-based psychological first support: it listens, books appointments, helps navigate complex forms, and brings in humans during emergencies. Two interacting AI systems — Conversation and Observer — ensure safe, professionally curated responses, continuously reviewed and refined by clinical experts.

Key takeaway

Learn how responsible AI can lower the threshold for young carers to seek help — from first conversation to appointment booking, form-filling and emergency escalation — without ever replacing human care.

About the presenter

Dr. Christian Stein is founder and CEO of Playersjourney GmbH and researcher at Humboldt University’s Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity. Bridging computer science and the humanities, he develops responsible AI systems for sensitive contexts, including Mental Helpy.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-christian-stein-2160b845/

The Young Carer Hub: Developing an AI-Supported Digital Ecosystem to Identify, Inform and Empower Young Carers Across Education and Care Systems
Aida Reich (M. A.); Prof. Dr. Veronika Anselmann
University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd

|

Germany
About this presentation
The Young Carer Hub develops an AI-supported digital ecosystem to improve the identification, information and empowerment of young carers. Combining youth-oriented digital tools, professional training and cross-sector collaboration, the project explores how ethical, low-threshold and scalable digital support can strengthen young carers across education and healthcare systems.

Key takeaway

Discover how AI-supported digital tools can help identify, inform and empower young carers across education and healthcare settings.

About the presenter

Aida Reich, M.A., is a research associate in the Young Carer Hub project at the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd and a nursing educator. Her doctoral research explores caregiving burden dynamics in relation to biographical factors across diverse caregiver groups. Veronika Anselmann is Professor of Nursing Vocational Education and Training at the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd. Her research explores, caregivers’ needs and the potential of digital and AI-based tools to enhance counseling and support.

Young Carers Austria: A Digital Platform Co-Designed with Young Carers to Provide Nationwide Support
Sabine Schrank & Martina Seiter
Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMASGPK) & University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (FH OO), Campus Hagenberg

|

Austria
About this presentation
Young Carers Austria is a nationwide, low‑barrier digital platform offering age‑appropriate support, privacy‑preserving information, and regional services for young carers. Developed through a long‑term government–academic partnership, it provides a replicable model for national digital support infrastructures.

Key takeaway

Participants can look forward to a concise, practice‑oriented insight into how a long‑term government–academic collaboration shaped a national support platform, along with concrete lessons from participatory design and key accessibility decisions that can inform similar initiatives in other contexts.

About the presenter

Sabine Schrank holds a degree in Nursing Science and brings extensive gerontological research experience. Since 2016, she has been working in long‑term care policy at the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, focusing on supporting family caregivers and advancing Austria’s long-term care system. Martina Seiter has been working at the Ministry of Social Affairs in Vienna since 2009. She graduated from high school in 2007 and is currently studying Disability and Diversity Studies while working. She spends a lot of time working with people with disabilities and support our colleagues at Young Carers Austria.

Reaching the Unseen: Digital Awareness Strategies for Young Carers
Tina Reitmeier
Alles Clara

|

Austria
About this presentation
How do you reach young people who may not even identify themselves as young carers? This presentation shares how the Young Carers Community Austria tested awareness strategies on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, experimenting with different formats, messages, visuals and tones of voice to better understand what captures attention and increases visibility among young people.

Key takeaway

Participants look forward to insights from real-world social media testing and learn which content, channels and communication styles were most effective in reaching young people. The presentation will provide practical lessons that can be applied to awareness campaigns targeting young carers.

About the presenter

Tina Reitmeier is innovation manager at Alles Clara, Austria’s digital support platform for family caregivers. She leads the Young Carers Austria project and coordinates the Young Carers Community Austria, where she explores how digital channels can be used to raise awareness of young carers and reach young people effectively.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-reitmeier/
Recognition
From Recognition to Policy Action

Nothing For Us, Without Us: A Blueprint for Young Carer System Reform
Madeleine Buchner
Little Dreamers

|

Australia
About this presentation
A 2025 Churchill Research Fellowship engaged 40+ contributors across England and the United States, examining what each does well and where Australia sits between them. This session shares the comparative findings and the six-area Blueprint they produced: a framework built from international practice and designed to be adapted in any national context.

Key takeaway

Delve into a comparison of how England, the United States, and Australia recognise and support Young Carers, and a six-area Blueprint you can apply in your own national context, whether you work in research, policy, practice, or advocacy.

About the presenter

Madeleine Buchner OAM is Founder and CEO of Little Dreamers, Australia’s leading Young Carer organisation, which she established at sixteen. A 2024 Churchill Fellow, her work focuses on translating Young Carer voice into service design.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleinebuchneroam/

Supporting Young carers in Flanders (Belgium): From a Flemish informal care policy to various practical initiatives and tools to support young informal carers, with a specific focus on education and broader societal contexts.
Pieter Vanreybrouck & Evelyn Geerdens
Steunpunt Mantelzorg & Samana

|

Belgium
About this presentation
This presentation explores how Flanders transformed the policy recognition of young carers into concrete action. Samana and Steunpunt Mantelzorg are Flemish organisations that support informal carers and have developed specific expertise in raising awareness, identifying, and supporting young carers. Through awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, and co-created support tools, both organisations work to increase the visibility, recognition, and support of young carers. We share key achievements, challenges, and lessons learned that may inspire similar initiatives in other countries.

Key takeaway

Learn practical strategies for identifying and supporting young carers, and discover how policy recognition can be transformed into sustainable impact through awareness, education, and co-creation.

About the presenter

Pieter Vanreybrouck is an expert on young carers at Steunpunt Mantelzorg. He works to strengthen policy, awareness, and support for young carers in Flanders. He co-coordinates the annual Week of the Young Carer and develops initiatives to support young carers in higher education. As a former young carer himself, he brings both professional and lived experience to his work. Evelyn Geerdens is Young Carer Education Officer at Samana. She co-coordinates the annual Week of the Young Carer and leads the caregiver-friendly schools project, supporting secondary schools in identifying and supporting young carers. Drawing on her own experience as a young carer, she combines professional expertise with personal insight.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pieter-vanreybrouck-profile/

Young Caregivers Collective of Canada: Towards a Canada-Wide Young Caregiver Policy Framework
Rebekah Gold, Oliver Fitzpatrick
Rebekah Gold, Brock University and Young Caregivers Collective of Canada; Oliver Fitzpatrick, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence and Young Caregivers Collective of Canada

|

Canada
About this presentation
This presentation shares the development of Canada’s first Young Caregiver Policy Framework, co-designed with young carers and national partners. Attendees will learn about key research findings, policy recommendations, and young carers’ perspectives on broader sociopolitical issues, highlighting a youth-led model for advancing systems and policy-level change.

Key takeaway

An early look at Canada’s first Young Caregiver Policy Framework and the youth-led process behind its development. Attendees will gain practical ideas for advancing young carer recognition, policy, and support while reflecting on how these approaches can inform work in their own countries and communities.

About the presenter

Rebekah Gold is a PhD Candidate at Brock University researching care, mental health, and participatory arts-based approaches with young carers. A lived-experience researcher, she co-founded and leads the Young Caregivers Collective of Canada, a national advocacy community of young carers. Oliver Fitzpatrick is the Partnerships and Knowledge Translation Specialist at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, where he supports the work of Siblings Canada and the Young Caregivers Collective of Canada. He has been very active in Quebec’s young caregiver movement.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-gold-470b21178/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-gabriel-fitzpatrick/
Recognition
End-of-Life Care, Loss and Bereavement

“I’m tired of justifying why my life has stopped”: A qualitative analysis of the experiences and support needs of young people caring at the end-of-life and into bereavement
Helen Leadbitter MBE
Young Carers Initiative & The Open University

|

United Kingdom
About this presentation
Family carers play an essential role in caring for terminally ill relatives, but evidence regarding the experiences of young and young adult carers is limited. This presentation will share the voices and experiences of bereaved young carers and young adult carers, focusing upon three main themes; Providing care at the end-of-life; navigating bereavement; and managing daily life and relationships.

Key takeaway

Understanding how young carers and young adult carers can struggle with lack of emotional and practical preparedness for death of a loved one, caregiver burden and changing roles and relationships within the family. Pre/post-bereavement young carers experience difficulties opening up and seeking help, including administrative tasks and can lack understanding or support from family, peers and professionals.

About the presenter

Helen Leadbitter MBE is a Social Worker who has been working in development and campaigning for young carers for over 25 years, has recognised specialist knowledge of young carers and best practice in the young carers sector both nationally across England and Internationally; provides consultancy work and is a research fellow of the Open University Carers Research Group.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-leadbitter-mbe-49217312a/

Approaching bereavement as a disruptive experience in Finnish young carers’ lives
Susanna Haverinen
University of Eastern Finland

|

Finland
About this presentation
This presentation focuses on caring situations where the proximity of death may not be predictable or an event soon, but rather something that quietly becomes part of the everyday life. I explore the ways in which young carers describe the proximity of death and how does approaching death appear as a disruptive event in Finnish young carers’ lives?

Key takeaway

Approaching death can be seen as a disruptive event for young carers

About the presenter

I am working as a doctoral researcher in the University of Eastern Finland, in a project Young Carers in Finland: life course transitions, family care chains and support for caring (YCaFin, 2024-2028, funded by Research Council of Finland).
linkedin.com/in/susanna-haverinen

When Care Ends, Grief Continues”: Recognising Bereaved Young Adult Carers
Alexandra Guité-Verret
Université de Lausanne

|

Switzerland
About this presentation
This qualitative study explored grief experiences among eight bereaved young adult carers following informal caregiving. Interviews and a focus group revealed three phases: caregiving as a destabilising role transition, end-of-life marked by constant vigilance, and bereavement involving identity reconstruction and new bonds. Peer connection with other young carers emerged as a powerful source of validation, suggesting that recognition itself functions as a key protective factor.

Key takeaway

To enhance understanding of bereavement following informal caregiving and to explore the value of the focus group method for validating and acknowledging this socially underrecognized experience.

About the presenter

Alexandra Guit-Verret is a doctor in psychology (PhD), currently a postdoctoral researcher, specializing in experiences related to cancer, end-of-life, and bereavement through an existential approach and qualitative research methods.

Dealing with grief as a young carer
Georgina Ceusters
ZoJong!

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Belgium
About this presentation
As a young carer, you are confronted with grief and loss throughout different stages of your life. In my experience, this grief is often not talked about by young carers and their surroundings. With this presentation, I would like to break this taboo.

Key takeaway

Identifiying different types of grief and loss, learning how to support young carers in their grieving process.

About the presenter

Georgina became a young carer when she was 16. During her years at university, she became a volunteer at ZoJong! She wrote her master’s thesis on the support young adult carers receive during their higher studies.
Recognition
Young Carer Recognition Around the World

Hidden in Plain Sight: Unmet Support Needs of Young Carers in Ghana
Frederick Godwill Amissah & Mercy Appiah-Akuetteh
Brown School of Social Work, Washington University & University of Stavanger, Norway

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United States
About this presentation
This presentation explores the caregiving experiences and unmet support needs of eight young carers in Aburi, Ghana. Drawing on qualitative interviews, it shows how children fill care gaps created by illness, disability, poverty, and limited formal support, while navigating educational strain, emotional distress, moral duty, and fragmented school, welfare and community responses.

Key takeaway

Participants will learn how young carers in Ghana become hidden but indispensable care providers in households affected by illness, disability, poverty, and limited welfare support, particularly in contexts where reciprocal filial obligations, including caregiving, are culturally valued and expected. The presentation highlights practical implications for identifying and supporting young carers through schools, social welfare systems, counseling, and material assistance.

About the presenter

Frederick Godwill Amissah is a third-year PhD student at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on young caregiving, structural determinants of health, and adolescent mental health. His long-term goals include developing psychosocial and economic empowerment interventions for young carers in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa. Mercy works as a Social Pedagogy Specialist at AWO OWL’s Familienzentrum in Bielefeld, Germany. She is committed to enhancing the rights of children and creating an enabling environment for all children to thrive. She holds a double Master’s background: an Erasmus Mundus European Master in Social Work with Families and Children (MFAMILY) from the University of Stavanger, Norway, and MPhil in Social Work from the University of Ghana, Lgeon. She presented her research on children’s rights awareness at the 2019 School of Social Sciences Conference held at the University of Ghana, Legon. Most recently, she served as lead author to published her study investigating young carers in Ghana in the Journal of Youth Studies (2025). Driven by passion for evidence-based social interventions, Mercy is actively seeking an opportunity to pursue her PhD to deepen her impact on child and family welfare policies and practices.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederick-godwill-amissah-msw-5045701b7/

Young Carers in the State of Bremen – A Qualitative Study on Needs, Challenges and Support Services
Corinna Weiß
SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen

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Germany
About this presentation
Children and adolescents who regularly care for sick or disabled family members often take on far-reaching responsibilities – usually behind the scenes. Based on the findings of the qualitative study this presentation explores their life situations and needs, outlines existing support services, and discusses approaches for early identification and needs-based support.

Key takeaway

Learn about the needs of young carers and the specific support systems available in the state of Bremen and gain insights into how regional support structures can better identify and support young carers.

About the presenter

Corinna Weiß holds a master’s degree in Social Policy from the University of Bremen. She completed a semester abroad at Maastricht University within the European Public Health programme. She is currently a research assistant at the University of Bremen.
www.linkedin.com/in/corinna-weiß-117089240

Young Carers/Caregiving Youth in the US: findings and strategies for recognition across three states
Elizabeth Olson
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

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United States
About this presentation
The purpose of this presentation is to describe three state-wide, school-focused research projects in the United States to first identify and then enhance support for young carers/caregiving youth in the US. We briefly introduce the findings of studies conducted amongst school children grades 6-12 in Florida (population 23.3 million), Rhode Island (pop. 1.1 million) and Colorado (pop. 6 million). We then describe the researcher-practitioner partnerships that have been central to this work, offering different possibilities for both research and evidence-led interventions. In collaboration with non-profits, state departments of education, and library services, we focus on the ways in which geographically dispersed, socially and economically diverse populations of young might be supported in three states with very different educational structures, demographic characteristics, and political influences. We share how these efforts contribute to a national shift in the recognition of young carers in the U.S.

Key takeaway

Learn about building collaborative partnerships to enhance research and impact.

About the presenter

Elizabeth Olson is a Professor in the department of Geography and Environment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-betsy-olson-038832290

Developing Support for Young Carers in Korea and Advancing the Self-Advocacy Movement
Jo Gihyun
Care Community N-inbun

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South Korea
About this presentation
This presentation examines how South Korea’s Self-Advocacy Movement shaped young carer policy from 2021 to 2024 legislation. Tracing the presenter’s personal journey and Care Community N-inbun’s initiatives, it challenges restrictive government frameworks and media stereotypes. Finally, it critically analyzes legislative limitations, asserting caregivers’ agency and lived experience as essential assets to international discourse on young carers.

Key takeaway

By tracing the process by which individual caring experiences extend into social action, we can critically examine the limitations and possibilities of support for young carers in Korean society.

About the presenter

Jo Gihyun became a young carer at 20. Author of he founded Care Community N-inbun to organize young carers. An Ashoka Fellow, he collaborates with governments and citizens to advance systemic care policy reform.
Instagram @jogi_hyun
Recognition
Youngest Young Carers: Seeing Care Early

Listening to Young Children as Next of Kin: Rights-Based Dialogue with Children Aged 3–6
Janina Fryckholm and Bonnie Friedh
Children’s Welfare Foundation Sweden

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Sweden
About this presentation
Young children affected by a parent’s or sibling’s illness are often overlooked and excluded from conversations about their situation. This presentation demonstrates how professionals can use play, visual materials, and child-led dialogue to help young children express their experiences, participate in ways that suit them, and receive appropriate support.

Key takeaway

Learn practical approaches for supporting the participation and rights of young children as next of kin.

About the presenter

Bonnie Friedh and Janina Fryckholm are Project Managers at the Children’s Welfare Foundation Sweden (Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhuset). Their work focuses on strengthening children’s rights and improving the recognition, participation, and support of children as next of kin.
linkedin.com/in/janina-fryckholm-8a81b81b5 linkedin.com/in/bonnie-friedh-76b11a86

Born To Care – Understanding the Experiences of the Young est Young Carers
Joanne Cooper
MYTIME Young Carers

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United Kingdom
About this presentation
Drawing on findings from MYTIME Young Carers’ Born to Care report, this workshop shines a spotlight on the hidden experiences of young carers under five. It explores why early identification is vital, highlights their absence from current policy and practice, and considers how greater recognition can help ensure families receive support before reaching crisis point.

Key takeaway

Discover the latest research revealing why young carers under five remain one of the most overlooked groups within early childhood services and the impact this has on children and families. Explore the evidence behind earlier identification and join the conversation about how policy, practice and awareness can evolve to ensure young carers are recognised and supported from the earliest possible stage.

About the presenter

With 24 years as a teacher, Joanne Cooper is Dorset Locality Manager at MYTIME Young Carers, supporting schools to strengthen young carer provision. Author of Born to Care and an international speaker, she advocates for early identification, reducing stigma, and ensuring young carers are seen, heard and supported.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-cooper-3a97052b7/

“You Never See Us in Books”: the process behind the picture books Young Carers in Bunnyland and Young Carers in Space
Ana Graça
Young Carers Illustrations

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United Kingdom
About this presentation
The Young Carers Illustration Project produces illustrative resources for younger young carers, helping with identification and awareness-raising. This presentation reflects and expands on the process behind the project and the workshops hosted with young carers aged 5 to 12 in London from 2024 to 2026, focusing on the use of visual storytelling.

Key takeaway

Learn storytelling-based ways to engage with younger young carers. Understand the need for an interdisciplinary approach in the early years sector for young carers.

About the presenter

Ana Graça is a children’s book author-illustrator from Brazil, based in the UK, who focuses on using art and visual storytelling for social change. Ana is a recent graduate from an MA in children’s literature and illustration in Goldsmiths University.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaclaugraca/

Young Carers in Early Childhood. A Kaleidoscope of very young caregiving.
Carly Ellicott
University of Plymouth

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England
About this presentation
Sharing insights from her PhD Research, Carly will discuss her work exploring the lived experiences of Young Carers in Early Childhood, often been overlooked in the field of research as a distinct group. Applying the psychological lens of the Power Threat Meaning Framework, Young Carers in Early Childhood can be understood in response to unequal power relationships; within families affected by illness and adversity, and broader representations in society. Caring responsibility reflects children’s adaptive survival strategies rather than individual deficits. The meaning they make of these experiences shape wellbeing, highlighting the need for relational, strengths based trauma informed support and early intervention, beginning in early childhood.

Key takeaway

Challenge perceptions of who young carers are most likely to be. Consider the perspectives of young carers in early childhood and take away practice insights for seeking and supporting their voice.

About the presenter

Carly has just finished her PhD research with the University of Plymouth, England. Her work is focused on the lived experiences of young carers in early childhood ( 0-8 Years) and draws upon her experience of supporting children, young people and their families, and personal experience. Carly is a passionate advocate of children’s rights and a proud young carers ally.
www.linkedin.com/in/carly-ellicott-2613a9b1
Recognition
Student Carers in Higher Education II: Help-Seeking and Belonging

(Dis)Connection, social structures and an ethic of care: student carers’ experiences of university
Dr. Zinnia Mitchell-Smith
Manchester Metropolitan University

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United Kingdom
About this presentation
This presentation presents findings from a study exploring the experiences of young adult carers studying at a Post-92 university in the north of England. In this paper, we advocate for a relational, care-informed, and justice-oriented transformation of higher education, one that values diverse forms of capital, fosters inclusive relationships, and embeds care into its core practices.

Key takeaway

Understand the experiences of carers in higher education and how relational practice can be implemented to support positive experiences and outcomes.

About the presenter

Dr. Zinnia Mitchell-Smith is the Deputy Head of Department for the Department of Social Care and Social Work at Manchester Metropolitan University with research and practice interests in supporting students with care experience and caring responsibilities.
www.linkedin.com/in/zinnia-mitchell-smith-ba3496264

Yes, Students do Care: Reflections and Learnings from Student Carers about Distance Caring
Freya Gray and Holly Cobb
Carers Trust

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England
About this presentation
What is known about young carers who leave home for university? When students leave home, there are assumptions that their caring role stops. Many students transition to distance caring, with responsibilities split between home and education. However, there is limited support recognising this, leaving student distance carers isolated in a time of huge change for themselves and their family.

Key takeaway

We aim to shine a light on the overlooked experiences of distant carers, not only to highlight the research gap that currently exists, but also to encourage participants to consider how they can support this group. Young carers shouldn’t be made to feel that their caring role limits their future, and this presentation draws on lived experience, UK policy, and ongoing research to raise the profile of this group.

About the presenter

Freya Gray and Holly Cobb are two young adult carers, who both care for a sibling. Alongside studying at Oxford together, they share an interest in advocating for the rights of young carers in policy and practice. Meeting through Carers Trust, they have both participated in parliamentary roundtables and other events with decision makers, Holly is now working in the young carer policy team at Carers Trust, and Freya is in her final year at Oxford, researching student distance caring.
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/holly-cobb AND www.linkedin.com/in/freya-gray-7178662a1

Changing the Framework: Applying SC 2.0 to student caregivers at McGill University
Maja Lambeck
McGill University Student Wellness Hub

|

Canada
About this presentation
McGill University’s Student Wellness Hub will use the Stepped Care 2.0 (SC2.0) framework—a flexible care model that provides access to a range of support options matched to individual needs and preferences—to support student caregivers. This presentation explores how SC2.0 will inform the development of peer-led caregiver initiatives that reduce barriers, foster connection, and create sustainable, inclusive support in post-secondary settings.

Key takeaway

Participants will learn how the Stepped Care 2.0 framework can help institutions better support student caregivers through accessible, peer-led initiatives that foster connection, inclusion, and well-being.

About the presenter

Maja Lambeck is a Health Promotion Associate at McGill University’s Healthy Living Annex, part of the Student Wellness Hub. She collaborates with other team members and students to develop and promote initiatives that support student well-being, mental health, and resilience.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maja-lambeck-4aa1b9266/

From Recognition to Support: Help-Seeking Pathways of Young Adult Carers in Higher Education
1) Steffen Kaiser & 2) Anna-Maria Spittel
1) Europa-Universität Flensburg, 2) Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg

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Germany
About this presentation
This study investigates how young adult carers in German higher education recognise, seek, and evaluate support while balancing academic and caregiving responsibilities. Grounded in Cramer’s Help-Seeking Model, a survey reveals gaps between available services and their utilisation, highlighting structural and perceptual barriers and identifying key points for improving accessible, responsive institutional support.

Key takeaway

Gain insight into how youn adult carers navigate support systems in higher education and where critical gaps emerge along the help-seeking process. The presentation highlights practical entry points for universities to improve awareness, accessibility, and responsiveness of support services.

About the presenter

1) Steffen Kaiser, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher and trained special needs teacher in the Department of Intellectual Disabilities at Europa-Universität Flensburg. His research focuses on young (adult) carers and education, school absenteeism, and students with intellectual disabilities. 2) Anna-Maria Spittel, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in Germany. Her research focuses on young adult carers in the context of school counselling, higher education, and structures of cooperation within support systems. She also draws on ecosystem theories in her research.

15:30

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16:45
Closing plenary
Includes presentation of the poster award.

16:45

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17:15
Coffee and goodbyes
Back to day selection