Free online mentoring is now available for South Australia’s young carers thanks to an exciting new community partnership.

Young Carers SA has partnered with nationally-renowned not-for-profit mentoring provider Raise to provide the mentoring to 13-16 year old young carers right across metropolitan and regional South Australia.

The mentoring will help build skills in:

• Self-confidence

• Goal setting

• Resilience

• Help seeking

Under the partnership, the online mentoring will be evidence-based and provided by Raise’s expertly trained and youth safety checked volunteers.

Mentoring is run as weekly 1-hour sessions over 10 or 17 weeks.

According to Raise, 42 percent of its South Australian mentees identify as young carers.

Young Carers SA General Manager Brigid Koenig says the program recognises the unique challenges that a young carer experiences every day, and will provide them with tailored, individualised support.

“We are thrilled to have this community partnership with Raise and be able to offer potentially life-changing mentoring opportunities to young carers,” Brigid says.

“From our experience, and with such a large cohort of Raise’s mentees identifying as young carers, it’s clear that young carers would benefit from additional support.

“While young carers are incredibly self-less and very proud of their caregiving support, they are often providing care that is well beyond their years. As a result, this has a significant impact on their daily lives, engagement with education, participation in social activities and emotional wellbeing.

“This online mentoring will ensure young carers are seen, heard and supported by pairing them with a caring, trusted adult who is there for them every week. The program provides the young carer with time and space to focus on themselves and help them reach their full potential.”

Raise’s Founder and CEO, Vicki Condon, said the organisation was excited to partner with Young Carers SA to expand its program further into South Australia and add to the 16,000 young people who had completed its mentoring program already.

“40 percent of young carers who have completed our programs tell us that their caregiving role is impacting their school work,” Vicki says.

“Mentoring will help South Australia’s young carers to stay engaged with and focussed on their learning, while enabling them to support themselves in their challenging teenage years.

“Young carers tell us that mentoring helps them because it gives them a break from their care duties, helps them gain more respect, provides time to recognise the support they need, and it connects with them valuable resources.”

Mary* is the parent of a 12-year-old young carer, who lives in Elliston, 650-kilometres from Adelaide on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.

She is grateful for the opportunity for her daughter to participate in the mentoring program.

“We live extremely isolated, so participating in this via online means that she can have access to support as she navigates her way through some challenging times and to feel supported and appreciated for everything she does,” she says.

“For us to access something like this face-to-face would mean at least a two-hour drive one way which is just not possible for us.

“Online mentoring means she can get the same information and feel safe and secure in her own home.”

Find out more about how to access Raise’s FREE online mentoring by contacting Young Carers SA on (08) 8433 9555 or programs@carersupport.org.au.

*name changed for privacy