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| 'Family comes first' - carer, 15 | 'Family comes first' - carer, 15 |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| By Katherine Sellgren BBC News education reporter Television adverts for the charity Action for Children raise awareness | By Katherine Sellgren BBC News education reporter Television adverts for the charity Action for Children raise awareness |
| Young carers in England are often "unidentified, unsupported and without a voice", Ofsted inspectors say. So what is a childhood of care really like? | Young carers in England are often "unidentified, unsupported and without a voice", Ofsted inspectors say. So what is a childhood of care really like? |
| "I help cook and clean, I do the ironing and - to give my mum and dad a break - I play with the other kids, I help my sister with her homework and I help the others with their homework too." | "I help cook and clean, I do the ironing and - to give my mum and dad a break - I play with the other kids, I help my sister with her homework and I help the others with their homework too." |
| At the age of 15, Melissa, from south Wales has a lot more on her plate than most of her peers who are sitting GCSEs this summer. | |
| But she has made every effort to keep up her attendance at school and hopes to study English and history A-levels from September. | But she has made every effort to keep up her attendance at school and hopes to study English and history A-levels from September. |
| She would also love to go on to university. | She would also love to go on to university. |
| "I don't know if that will be possible - but I'd like to go." | "I don't know if that will be possible - but I'd like to go." |
| I do get angry sometimes... but at the end of the day my family comes first. Melissa, 15 | I do get angry sometimes... but at the end of the day my family comes first. Melissa, 15 |
| The eldest of four children, Melissa helps care for her nine-year-old epileptic sister and her 14-year-old autistic brother. | The eldest of four children, Melissa helps care for her nine-year-old epileptic sister and her 14-year-old autistic brother. |
| She also helps look after her four-year-old sister, as well as her mother and father, who both have heart problems. | She also helps look after her four-year-old sister, as well as her mother and father, who both have heart problems. |
| "When I was younger, I used to do really simple things," says Melissa. | "When I was younger, I used to do really simple things," says Melissa. |
| "It's got harder as I've got older because I've been able to take more responsibility and I'm more capable now that I'm older." | "It's got harder as I've got older because I've been able to take more responsibility and I'm more capable now that I'm older." |
| 'Angry' | 'Angry' |
| "I do get angry sometimes because I miss out going out with my friends - but at the end of the day my family comes first." | "I do get angry sometimes because I miss out going out with my friends - but at the end of the day my family comes first." |
| When she is told she sounds very mature for a 15-year-old, she says: "I've had to be." | When she is told she sounds very mature for a 15-year-old, she says: "I've had to be." |
| Melissa says her school does not know about her caring role and she is happier with it that way, because she does not want to be singled out. | Melissa says her school does not know about her caring role and she is happier with it that way, because she does not want to be singled out. |
| "I'd rather not tell them, I fear I'd be treated differently. | "I'd rather not tell them, I fear I'd be treated differently. |
| "I wouldn't mind the teachers knowing, but I wouldn't like to be treated differently - I'd like to be like a normal child." | "I wouldn't mind the teachers knowing, but I wouldn't like to be treated differently - I'd like to be like a normal child." |
| Melissa's lifeline has been a support group, run by the charity Action for Children, called Rhondda Taff Ely Young Carers. | Melissa's lifeline has been a support group, run by the charity Action for Children, called Rhondda Taff Ely Young Carers. |
| For the past seven years this has offered her a break every fortnight and the chance to "chill out" with other young people who face similarly challenging childhoods. | For the past seven years this has offered her a break every fortnight and the chance to "chill out" with other young people who face similarly challenging childhoods. |
| "It's got to be the best help help I've had out of all the services, like social workers and things like that," she says. | "It's got to be the best help help I've had out of all the services, like social workers and things like that," she says. |
| Nicola's story | Nicola's story |
| Nicola King from North Lanarkshire tells a similar story of a childhood taken up with adult cares and responsibilities. | |
| She was just eight when her mother became ill with multiple sclerosis. | She was just eight when her mother became ill with multiple sclerosis. |
| Nicola King now helps others who have had a childhood of caring | Nicola King now helps others who have had a childhood of caring |
| "It was just me and my mum so I took on quite a heavy amount of the caring - cooking, cleaning, shopping, financial stuff, helping with her medication," says Nicola. | "It was just me and my mum so I took on quite a heavy amount of the caring - cooking, cleaning, shopping, financial stuff, helping with her medication," says Nicola. |
| "When she lost all of her abilities, I was changing her catheter bag and taking her to the toilet. | "When she lost all of her abilities, I was changing her catheter bag and taking her to the toilet. |
| "Basically I just got on with it - I was an eight-year-old girl one day and I woke up the next day as an eight-year-old adult." | "Basically I just got on with it - I was an eight-year-old girl one day and I woke up the next day as an eight-year-old adult." |
| Her caring duties only ended when her mother died when Nicola was 16. | Her caring duties only ended when her mother died when Nicola was 16. |
| The whole experience, Nicola reflects, has made her more mature for her now 25 years. | The whole experience, Nicola reflects, has made her more mature for her now 25 years. |
| "I am a lot more mature than a lot of my peers. | "I am a lot more mature than a lot of my peers. |
| "My boyfriend laughs and tells me to act my age - but I tell him 'You forget I never had a childhood'". | "My boyfriend laughs and tells me to act my age - but I tell him 'You forget I never had a childhood'". |
| Her story was so poignant, it was used as one of the television adverts by the charity Action for Children in its awareness-raising campaign for young carers. | Her story was so poignant, it was used as one of the television adverts by the charity Action for Children in its awareness-raising campaign for young carers. |
| Nicola now works with child carers, giving them support, the chance to chat and, most importantly, the chance to have some fun. |