Young carers, defined as young people aged 25 and under who provide care to a family/whānau member who needs help with everyday living, have received relatively little research and policy attention in Aotearoa New Zealand. Research is particularly lacking for young carers under 15 years of age. The current research project is a cross-sectional exploratory study that aims to use data from Growing Up in New Zealand's 12-year data collection wave to gain insight into young carers in the Growing Up cohort, in order to inform policy and service delivery.

The specific objectives of this study are to:
1. Scope how many young carers there are in the Growing Up cohort at 12 years and how often they engage in care activities,
2. Investigate the sociodemographic and family characteristics of young carers, and
3. Explore the health, wellbeing, schooling, and after-school activities of young carers.

Data analysis will involve descriptive statistics (e.g., frequencies, percentages, chi-square tests of independence, and adjusted estimates) of the characteristics and outcomes of young carers compared to their counterparts.

This study is associated with a bespoke report commissioned by the Ministry of Social Development, and findings will be used to inform the cross-government Carers’ Strategy developed in partnership with the New Zealand Carers Alliance.