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Tara Purdy never dreamed she would one day see her articles in print. But she was one of the lucky ones whose article was chosen to appear in the pages of an annual glossy magazine.

The number of young carers in the UK is increasing. The official figure is 175,000 but this is likely to be a massive underestimate.

Presents views on social care among children. Overview of a 2005 report by The Education Network about young carers; Decision to be a good parent upon the acquisition of a disability; Reasons why parents should impose responsibilities on their children when they risk damaging their futures.

In 2009, The Social Care Institute for Excellence introduced guidelines for practitioners to support families in which parents have mental health problems. Here, Scie presents a case study demonstrating how the guidance could be successfully applied

The author argues that funding for young carers' support should be ring-fenced to avoid that possibility that British councils may use the budget to fend off the next budgetary crisis. He describes young carers as children who take on responsibility for their families, acting as main carers for their disabled or chronically ill parents and siblings. The government has funded initiatives to support young carers. However, he notes that government aims to transfer this funding to local authorities.

The article reports on the Young Carers' Day 2007 outing organized by the Essex Council in England for young carers and their families. The city council's adolescent services has collaborated with young carers' groups in organizing the event. Over 300 young carers and their families have attended the event at the end of June 2007. It notes that there are 5,000 young carers in the city.

The article reviews the book "Down's Syndrome and Dementia: A Resource for Carers and Support Staff," 2nd edition, by Karen Dodd, Vicky Turk and Michelle Christmas.

Each week the Social Care Institute for Excellence puts forward research findings in a specific field