Nothing for us, without us: Reflections on my Churchill Fellowship and the future of Young Carer support in Australia
Earlier this year, I had the immense privilege of stepping away from day-to-day life at Little Dreamers to embark on a Churchill Fellowship. The Fellowship took me across the United States and England to explore one central question: What would our world look like if every system truly recognised, understood, and supported young people in caring roles?
Growing up as a Young Carer, I felt the weight of responsibility long before I had the language to name it. That lived experience became the seed that eventually grew into Little Dreamers. Sixteen years on, with more than 23,500 hours of direct support delivered each year and thousands of incredible Young Carers coming through our programs, the work remains both deeply personal and profoundly urgent.
Travelling overseas was a chance to step away from the noise and really listen to researchers, policymakers, service providers, educators, health professionals, and most importantly, to young people themselves. What I found was both confronting and inspiring.
In the United States, I saw extraordinary innovation driven by passionate individuals who refuse to let Young Carers remain invisible. Programs like the Caregiving Youth Project in Florida and the statewide model in Rhode Island showed what’s possible when schools take responsibility for identifying and supporting young people with caring roles. Their creativity and determination were remarkable, but I was also struck by how fragile this progress is without national legislation or consistent funding. Change rests heavily on a few leaders, and systems simply aren’t designed to recognise these young people.
In England, I found almost the opposite: a landscape shaped by strong legislation, clearer duties, better data, and more consistent recognition. Local authorities are required to identify Young Carers, with the rights of children and families placed firmly at the centre of this work. Organisations such as Sheffield Young Carers and Manchester City Council are embedding support into the everyday language and practice of schools, health services, and communities. This was powerfully evident as I stood alongside more than 900 Young Carers at the England Young Carers Festival – watching them laugh, connect, and be completely themselves – I was reminded just how transformative visibility can be.
Yet even in the UK, there are gaps. Identification remains inconsistent, funding remains a constant challenge, and even the most supportive environments can’t take away the reality that, at the end of the day, these young people return to complex home lives. But what England does offer is proof that systemic change is possible when responsibility is shared – when Young Carers aren’t just the focus of individual programs, but woven into the design of entire systems.
So, what does this mean for Australia?
Through the Fellowship, a clear and compelling Blueprint for the future of Young Carer support in Australia has emerged – one that builds on existing strengths, addresses critical gaps, and rethinks how education, health, government, and community systems work together. At its core is the principle of mainstreaming: moving Young Carers from the margins of policy and practice into the centre of every system that shapes their lives. This means shifting away from siloed programs toward shared responsibility, and from recognition as an afterthought to recognition embedded in every decision affecting children, young people, and families.
The Blueprint identifies six key areas which, together, set out a pathway toward a fairer, more consistent, and more compassionate future:
- Mainstreaming Young Carers across all systems
- Support that goes beyond respite
- Whole-of-family approaches
- Lived experience leadership
- Stronger legislative protections
- Research and data that truly reflect the scale and diversity of young caregiving in Australia.
These ideas didn’t come from theory – they came from the people I met, the families who generously shared their stories, and the decades of research and practice that have paved the way, and most importantly, they came from Young Carers themselves. If there is one message that echoed throughout my travels, it was this: Nothing for us, without us. Young people with caring roles must be leaders, co-designers, and experts in shaping the systems that affect their lives. Their insight is not optional; it is essential.
Publishing this report feels both like the completion of one journey and the beginning of another. From 2026 onwards, Little Dreamers is committed to working with governments, service providers, funders, educators, and communities to begin implementing this Blueprint. We know a change of this scale takes time, but we also know what’s possible when a community comes together behind a shared vision.
Whether you’re a Young Carer, parent, teacher, supporter, policymaker, or partner – this work is for you. I invite you to read the full report, share it widely, and reach out if you’d like to explore the findings in more detail. If your organisation, department, or community is ready to help bring the Blueprint to life from 2026 onwards, we would love to collaborate.
The next chapter starts now. Let’s write it together.
Written by Madeleine Buchner OAM
