A new initiative to help students balancing college life with looking after a loved one has been launched at University of Limerick (UL).
The project launch coincides with events marking international Young Carers Action Day, which is focusing this year on the importance of rest and respite for young family carers.
Led by Assistant Professor Breda Moloney at UL's School of Nursing and Midwifery, in collaboration with Family Carers Ireland (FCI), the inspiration came from the experience of an increasing number of students "struggling to manage their course work alongside the demands of caring for a relative".
Prof Moloney told RTÉ's Drivetime she had noticed some students "falling asleep in class, being late for labs or lectures", or coming to her "at a crisis point where they can’t keep going" with their course.
The information now being circulated widely through UL’s new student carer recognition project, she said, "is about supporting students and avoiding them having to drop out of their course" due to those caring responsibilities with "financial support, guidance and counselling" available along with a greater recognition from academic staff and existing student support services.
Waterford student Conor Curran is enjoying his 2nd year of studies in UL’s BSc in science education course, but admits he "always worries" about his 17-year-old brother Daniel who has 22q11 deletion syndrome - a condition which causes developmental difficulties.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
As a young carer, Conor said he helps Daniel with meal times, medicine and other tasks to give his mother a break from her role as full time carer.
He told the same programme: "It’s just been my everyday life. I don’t know any different.
However, he said it does affect studies as he often wonders if he should be at home helping out more, adding that the reality for many young carers is that they cannot go to college.
With over 67,000 young carers in Ireland and 15,407 student carers in higher education institutions, FCI hopes the UL initiative will raise awareness of "hidden carers" too.
Young carer’s support manager with FCI, Elayne O’Hara, said they are often "an invisible group, not identifying themselves, they think all families grow up with someone who needs extra help" and they are not aware they are young carers and that support is available.
She also voiced concerns for young carers "locked out of third level education due to responsibilities at home, or those who are full time carers in receipt of carers allowance".
Ms O'Hara said they cannot study for more than 18.5 hours a week, which includes travel time, leaving them "very limited" as few full time college courses "would be less than that".
Describing young carers as a "wonderful bunch of people" with great "empathy and problem solving" skills, Ms O’Hara said their "powerful voices" need to be heard by Government to ensure easier access to higher education.
"It’s nice to have someone in your corner" Conor concluded, adding: "Knowing that support and flexibility is available when it’s needed, is a definite help."
