Do Childcare Responsibilities make you a Carer?

There can be a lot of confusion and misinformation surrounding carers, including who they are and what they do. This is detrimental for many reasons, but specifically because people with caring responsibilities often do not realise they are a carer, and therefore do not seek the help and support available to them.

This week we were asked if someone who has childcare responsibilities is considered to be a carer.

Caring situations can involve helping those who are elderly or infirm; have chronic illness, a disability or special needs; mental illness (including dementia or Alzheimers’s) or have issues with substance misuse.

You would only be classified as a carer for a child if they had a disability or long-term illness. Although parents and guardians “care” for their child, this is considered as being separate from being a carer as defined above.

Organisations will normally have policies and procedures in place for staff with children, however these are normally classed as family/ parent/ child policies and do not fall under those for carers.

Got a query about carers or how to build support for them in the workplace? Get in touch at info@carerpositive.org and we will be happy to answer your questions.