‘WHO CARES?’ APP FOR YOUNG CARERS

Minister for Disability Services John Ajaka today launched ‘Who Cares?’ – an app that provides support for young carers whilst speaking at the Carer Day Conference at Western Sydney University.

‘Who Cares?’ is designed to help young people from 12 years old who care for loved ones with a disability or illness.

Mr Ajaka said that more than 100,000 of the 850,000 carers in NSW are under the age of 25.

“These young people take on a level of responsibility that we would normally associate with an adult,” Mr Ajaka said.

“Research tells us that the impact can be life-long - many young carers do not complete their education because of the challenges they face.

“The NSW Government cares about young carers and we want to provide the support they need.”

The ‘Who Cares?’ app is a joint initiative with Carers NSW, and was developed by the winners of the Apps4NSW competition, InductOnline, in consultation with young carers.

It features stories from young carers and social media functions to help build community awareness of the unique experiences of young carers and the support they most need.

‘Who Cares?’ is one of 16 projects in the NSW Carers Strategy, a five year plan setting out how government, non-government and private sector organisations can work together to improve the lives of carers in NSW.

The app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play.