“My daughter has not had a holiday in seven years due to caring for me.”
The pressure of living in poverty while caring for disabled family members is robbing young people in Northern Ireland of a normal childhood, according to one Northern Ireland mum.
The researchers – a group of experts who have been gathering evidence on poverty among unpaid carers of all ages in Northern Ireland – have called for greater support for the over 17,500 children and young adults helping to care for sick or disabled loved ones in Northern Ireland. “She certainly does not have the life that her peers around her have. Things must change for our unsung heroes. All parties must get back to government to address this serious issue or at the very least, Westminster must step in.”
“Every child deserves the fun experiences and joy of being young, but massive holes in our health service and welfare system, along with the devastating impact of the cost of living crisis, have taken that away from many young carers and conditioned them to expect less from life. “It is totally unacceptable for the Assembly to sit in a deep freeze while children across Northern Ireland spend every day buckling under the strain of caring and poverty, excluded from the activities and experiences enjoyed by the rest of their peers.”
Sheena McMullen, Campaigns, Advocacy & Policy Advisor at Action for Children and co-author of the report, added: “We know that without financial security and without community, no family can truly thrive.
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