Fair Futures and Equal Access for Young Carers on Young Carers Action Day 2026

11th March 2026 marks Young Carers Action Day, an annual campaign led by Carers Trust to raise awareness of the challenges faced by young carers across the UK.

There are an estimated one million young carers in the UK, including some as young as five. Many take on serious responsibilities that can limit the time they have for homework, hobbies and friendships. 

This year’s theme, “Fair Futures for Young Carers,” highlights the pressures many young carers face while balancing education with significant caring responsibilities. Often taking on adult-level roles from a young age, they can be disproportionately disadvantaged in their health, finances, education and future employment.  

Young Carers Action Day continues to campaign for greater recognition in schools, improved access to training and jobs, stronger wellbeing support and meaningful breaks – ensuring young carers have the same opportunities as their peers to learn, grow and thrive. 

KCCF celebrates the incredible children and young people who help to look after family members who are unwell or disabled.  

Since 2023, KCCF has supported Carers Trust with a strategic partnership grant of £300,000 benefiting more than 200 carers and young carers to date. The funding has been instrumental in the creation of a youth advisory panel with membership of over 70 and growing. Two young adult carers have been appointed as co-chairs, one of whom observes at Carers Trust Board meetings. This is an important route for young and young adult carers to be directly represented in their governance.  Additionally, the youth advisory panel supported consultation work on the refreshed guide for young carers ensuring this is accessible, engaging, relevant and tailored to the experiences and needs of young carers. 

Last month, our Founder The King, hosted Carers Trust, along with representatives from charities supporting carers at a reception at Windsor Castle, to honour and celebrate the contributions of paid and unpaid carers from across the UK. The event highlighted the resilience of carer givers including young carers.  

His Majesty recognised the huge contribution carers make, saying: 

“I have been moved, time and again, by the resilience of those who give so much of themselves while asking for so little in return. So, to those who provide care – whether you wear a uniform or simply the clothes you felt able to pull on in the morning – please know that the great love you show in small ways every day is an example and an inspiration to us all. It is our duty, in return, to ensure it is never taken for granted nor forgotten.” 

With the number of young carers continuing to rise, Carers Trust is urging schools, employers, policymakers and communities to take action to ensure young carers’ contributions are recognised, their wellbeing supported, and their potential fully realised. 

Young carers deserve a fair future – one where their opportunities are not limited by the responsibilities they carry at home. Find out more here.