When Children and Teens Take on Caregiving Responsibilities

Pursuing your own hobbies after school, sleeping in on the weekends, meeting friends in town, or going to a party in the evening—this is the everyday life experienced by many children and teens between the ages of 10 and 19. But for about 500,000 of their peers in Germany, their daily routine looks quite different. For them, the next set of responsibilities begins after school: They help with household chores, run errands, cook, and regularly care for a family member who needs assistance. They care for parents or siblings with disabilities, chronic illnesses, substance use disorders, or cancer. Young carers are children and adolescents who take on caregiving responsibilities while still minors—often from a young age and usually behind the scenes. A look at the realities of family life—navigating adolescence, caregiving, boundaries, and challenges.

Just a Normal Day

It is 3:30 p.m. Henrik, 14, puts the groceries he picked up on his way home from school in the refrigerator. He starts a load of laundry, gives his mother her afternoon dose of pain medication, unloads the dishwasher, and then gets to work on his homework before preparing dinner. He doesn’t help out that much at home every day, but for the past few months, Grandma has been out of commission and can no longer take care of her daughter, who has cancer, while Henrik’s father is at work. That’s when Henrik steps in—and cooks, does the laundry, or gives out medicine instead of going to soccer practice.

Henrik isn’t a real person—but his daily life is representative of many young people who, as young caregivers, care for family members. As early as ages eight to ten, they begin taking on their first caregiving tasks to help relieve the burden on the primary caregivers. Half of young caregivers help out at home for up to 10 hours a week, and one-third for up to 20 hours a week. One in seven people even cares for family members for between 21 and 40 hours a week—in addition to attending school or vocational training. On average, they perform these tasks over a period of up to twelve years.
In the process, young caregivers develop a high degree of independence, a sense of responsibility, and empathy at an early age. Most of them support their families out of their own initiative, not because it is expected of them by the people in need of care or other family members.

Indispensable, but invisible?

The fact that young caregivers—especially those who have grown up in a caregiving situation from a young age—take on a great deal of responsibility at home often goes unnoticed by people outside the family. They and their families rarely speak openly about their situation.

There can be various reasons for this silence: Some people take their daily caregiving routine for granted and see no reason to talk about it. Others are afraid of the possible consequences if their family situation becomes known. For example, they fear that government agencies or authorities will take notice and intervene in the family system. This idea can be perceived as threatening and frightening.
Added to this is the fear of rejection or exclusion by peers. Many young caregivers don’t want to seem “different” or stand out from their classmates. Fears, feelings of shame, constant worry about family members who need care, and a lack of time for friends and hobbies often lead to social isolation and emotional distress. These can affect not only the physical and psychosocial development of young caregivers, but also their academic performance. Absences, difficulty concentrating due to lack of sleep, and physical and emotional exhaustion can lead to gaps in education and even dropout—and consequently limit career opportunities.

Long-term caregiving—regardless of the caregiver’s age—poses significant health, emotional, psychological, and professional challenges. For young caregivers, these challenges also occur during a sensitive phase of life marked by personal, social, and academic or professional development.

Because no one has to do everything on their own

Every caregiving situation is unique, and every family finds its own way to manage caregiving at home. However, to ensure that children and adolescents in particular are relieved of some of the burden, it is important that families—in addition to resource centers and support groups—are also aware of the options for professional support in home care. This is because if the person receiving care has a care level designation, they are eligible to receive benefits from long-term care insurance. These include, for example, home care services, day and night care, short-term or respite care when the primary caregiver is unavailable, as well as support services to ease the burden of daily life. These services can help reduce the caregiving burden on children and adolescents—as well as on the entire family.