Frequently asked questions
1. What is your relationship to Hospice Toronto, do you only work with clients who have a life threatening illness?
Our program derives from Hospice Toronto, but our mandate is quite different as we serve children and youth who are caregivers. They can be care-giving due to a family member having a chronic or life threatening illness, disability, addiction, mental illness, or language barrier.
2. Some kids in care-giving roles don't have any adverse effects from caring. So how do we know which ones are "Young Carers" in need of support?
The UK definition states that: A Young Carer becomes vulnerable when the level of care-giving and responsibility to the person in need of care becomes excessive or inappropriate for that child, risking impacting on his or her own emotional or physical well-being or educational achievements and life chances (Frank, 2010). The amount of caring varies from each child, and it’s not so much what they do, but how they are affected. All the Young Carers we have met worry about their family, and feel different from other kids. The program helps them cope with their worries and meet others who can relate to their circumstances.
3. My child helps to take care of his younger siblings because I work at night, is he a Young Carer?
Unfortunately, to meet our eligibility the child must be caring because someone in the family has an illness, disability, mental health issue, addiction or language barrier, which puts him in a care-giving role.
4. I have a terminal illness but my daughter doesn't do any extra stuff around the house, so I don't think she is a Young Carer. Does she qualify?
Your daughter might not be helping with household chores or personal care, but she may be providing emotional support and she might be worried about your illness even if she doesn’t talk about it. This would make her a Young Carer and eligible for our program.
5. Do you offer transportation?
Unfortunately, we are a non-profit organization and currently do not have the funds to support transportation to all of our programs. We do however offer limited transportation when we can, which is usually once a month for our special events.
6. My son is 5 years old and I don’t think he would benefit from any of your programs, since he is not really affected by his brother’s disability.
We have had many younger kids express concerns and worries for their family member. They often have a lot to say especially when surrounded with other kids with similar lives. He could be affected in hidden ways and the program may be a helpful support for your family.
7. My son is too busy helping as a caregiver, so he probably doesn’t have time to go to this program. What do you suggest?
We’d love to see what community resources we can tap into which may free up some time for your son to attend the program. Please contact us so we can explore the possibilities.
8. Why haven’t I heard about this program? I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time.
The short answer is we are still a fairly new program! The longer answer is that the term ‘Young Carers’ is still very new to Canada. Often kids don’t realize they are Young Carers as it is embedded into their identity and they also don’t want to lose their family privacy. Then there is the community service providers; most have a mandate to serve the person receiving services (i.e.: their client) and they don't use a holistic model for assessment of the whole family. Then there's also the government, which has not officially recognized Young Carers as a specific population with unique needs.
9. I want to join your program but I don’t think my parents will let me.
If you are 16 years of age or older, you can become a member on your own. If you are under 16, we’d love to talk to your parents by phone or email to discuss the benefits of the program, or we can send you information via any means that you can share with them.
10. Can I come to the program with my child?
We want parents to feel comfortable with their child attending program. We invite you to observe one of our programs from afar, so you can get a sense of what we do, but we do not allow parents to attend programs. We are funded as a child and youth program based on a peer support model that can’t be properly implemented with parents present. We would be happy to help locate family programs in your local community if that would better suit your needs.
11. My child has ADHD but also cares for his sibling with special needs, can he still attend your program?
We ask that your child is able to function in a group setting whereby there is 1 adult per 10 children.
12. I know a family that could really use your help, but they are afraid family services will get involved because the mother has substance abuse issues.
We recognize that families may be under stress due to the care-giving situation. We want to ensure that family needs are met and that we are providing necessary support to make sure that the Young Carer will excel and not be hindered by the challenges. We want to prevent the development of negative coping skills, and help the Young Carer and their family to overcome the challenge by giving them the right tools and supports to succeed.
It is the law to report suspected child abuse or neglect, and we always clearly communicate our legal obligation to report with any family who inquires as to how these decisions are made.
We want to assist the parent in any way that will help promote a healthy functioning family unit. This may include making referrals or working with officials to achieve goals of stabilizing the family and ensuring the child’s safety.
13. I’d like to refer a family but I’m afraid they might think I’m making a bad comment on their parenting.
For us, it is not a question of bad parenting, but a lack of adequate support from community services. All family members take on extra responsibilities and tasks when someone in the home needs care, and our job is to help support and strengthen families. We want to ensure that the care-giving role is positive and that the Young Carer gets the support he/she needs in order to thrive. We would be happy to speak with you or the family directly about the benefits of the program.
14. What kinds of questions do you ask at the intake meeting?
The intake meeting takes about 45-60 minutes . We fill out permission forms and we ask questions that give us a general idea of how the Young Carer is doing at socially, physically, emotionally and academically. We also ask what kinds of care-giving tasks he/she does at home and how the program can best support the family. Our intakes are designed to ensure that the Young Carer is suitable for our programs and to determine how we can best support the young person.
15. I love this program, but I’m not a young carer and I want to get involved.
There are always ways to support! We have volunteer opportunities you can explore under the volunteer tab. If you are interested in making a donation to support our program, please contact us.
16. What happens in a program? Are you forced to share your feelings?
The program provides a safe space for children and youth to talk about what it is like to be a Young Carer if they would like. We encourage children and youth to share their unique care-giving stories, but there is zero pressure if they are not comfortable. The participants usually dictate the conversations which occur during program, giving them the opportunity to address their feelings and concerns. The staff may help facilitate certain topics, but the exchange is usually lead by the youth in program. We do our best to include ice-breakers and familiarizing games to ensure that all new members are welcomed into the space. Depending on the theme of the program, different activities, conversations. skill-development and games will be integrated.
17. I’d like to join your program, but I don’t want to talk about my dad to anyone because he has a mental illness.
You only have to talk when you want to, and about what you want to. No one is ever forced to share their care-giving story. Sometimes it may seem harder to talk about mental illness because of the stigma associated with it, but there are many Young Carers worldwide who help care for a parent with a mental illness. You are not alone!
18. Do all your programs happen at the Hospice Toronto office?
Some of our activities are held at the Hospice Toronto office, while other programs take place at many of our partner agencies such as Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto District School Board public schools, and Ronald McDonald House-Toronto. Our special events often occur in the broader community. We do our best to accommodate all members by offering programs throughout Toronto. However, we often run into challenges when trying to secure space and by default, the programs run through our office.
19. Are your services only for Hospice Toronto clients?
No, we serve any Young Carer care-giving for a parent, grandparent, sibling or any relative with a chronic or life threatening illness, disability, addiction, mental illness, or language barrier in the Toronto area.
19. Are your programs FUN?!
We may be bias, but we think are programs are AWESOME. They are a really great opportunity for Young Carers to get together, explore their experiences as care-givers and take a break from their care-giving role. We are big fans of having fun and try our best to integrate FUN into everything that we do!
Our program derives from Hospice Toronto, but our mandate is quite different as we serve children and youth who are caregivers. They can be care-giving due to a family member having a chronic or life threatening illness, disability, addiction, mental illness, or language barrier.
2. Some kids in care-giving roles don't have any adverse effects from caring. So how do we know which ones are "Young Carers" in need of support?
The UK definition states that: A Young Carer becomes vulnerable when the level of care-giving and responsibility to the person in need of care becomes excessive or inappropriate for that child, risking impacting on his or her own emotional or physical well-being or educational achievements and life chances (Frank, 2010). The amount of caring varies from each child, and it’s not so much what they do, but how they are affected. All the Young Carers we have met worry about their family, and feel different from other kids. The program helps them cope with their worries and meet others who can relate to their circumstances.
3. My child helps to take care of his younger siblings because I work at night, is he a Young Carer?
Unfortunately, to meet our eligibility the child must be caring because someone in the family has an illness, disability, mental health issue, addiction or language barrier, which puts him in a care-giving role.
4. I have a terminal illness but my daughter doesn't do any extra stuff around the house, so I don't think she is a Young Carer. Does she qualify?
Your daughter might not be helping with household chores or personal care, but she may be providing emotional support and she might be worried about your illness even if she doesn’t talk about it. This would make her a Young Carer and eligible for our program.
5. Do you offer transportation?
Unfortunately, we are a non-profit organization and currently do not have the funds to support transportation to all of our programs. We do however offer limited transportation when we can, which is usually once a month for our special events.
6. My son is 5 years old and I don’t think he would benefit from any of your programs, since he is not really affected by his brother’s disability.
We have had many younger kids express concerns and worries for their family member. They often have a lot to say especially when surrounded with other kids with similar lives. He could be affected in hidden ways and the program may be a helpful support for your family.
7. My son is too busy helping as a caregiver, so he probably doesn’t have time to go to this program. What do you suggest?
We’d love to see what community resources we can tap into which may free up some time for your son to attend the program. Please contact us so we can explore the possibilities.
8. Why haven’t I heard about this program? I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time.
The short answer is we are still a fairly new program! The longer answer is that the term ‘Young Carers’ is still very new to Canada. Often kids don’t realize they are Young Carers as it is embedded into their identity and they also don’t want to lose their family privacy. Then there is the community service providers; most have a mandate to serve the person receiving services (i.e.: their client) and they don't use a holistic model for assessment of the whole family. Then there's also the government, which has not officially recognized Young Carers as a specific population with unique needs.
9. I want to join your program but I don’t think my parents will let me.
If you are 16 years of age or older, you can become a member on your own. If you are under 16, we’d love to talk to your parents by phone or email to discuss the benefits of the program, or we can send you information via any means that you can share with them.
10. Can I come to the program with my child?
We want parents to feel comfortable with their child attending program. We invite you to observe one of our programs from afar, so you can get a sense of what we do, but we do not allow parents to attend programs. We are funded as a child and youth program based on a peer support model that can’t be properly implemented with parents present. We would be happy to help locate family programs in your local community if that would better suit your needs.
11. My child has ADHD but also cares for his sibling with special needs, can he still attend your program?
We ask that your child is able to function in a group setting whereby there is 1 adult per 10 children.
12. I know a family that could really use your help, but they are afraid family services will get involved because the mother has substance abuse issues.
We recognize that families may be under stress due to the care-giving situation. We want to ensure that family needs are met and that we are providing necessary support to make sure that the Young Carer will excel and not be hindered by the challenges. We want to prevent the development of negative coping skills, and help the Young Carer and their family to overcome the challenge by giving them the right tools and supports to succeed.
It is the law to report suspected child abuse or neglect, and we always clearly communicate our legal obligation to report with any family who inquires as to how these decisions are made.
We want to assist the parent in any way that will help promote a healthy functioning family unit. This may include making referrals or working with officials to achieve goals of stabilizing the family and ensuring the child’s safety.
13. I’d like to refer a family but I’m afraid they might think I’m making a bad comment on their parenting.
For us, it is not a question of bad parenting, but a lack of adequate support from community services. All family members take on extra responsibilities and tasks when someone in the home needs care, and our job is to help support and strengthen families. We want to ensure that the care-giving role is positive and that the Young Carer gets the support he/she needs in order to thrive. We would be happy to speak with you or the family directly about the benefits of the program.
14. What kinds of questions do you ask at the intake meeting?
The intake meeting takes about 45-60 minutes . We fill out permission forms and we ask questions that give us a general idea of how the Young Carer is doing at socially, physically, emotionally and academically. We also ask what kinds of care-giving tasks he/she does at home and how the program can best support the family. Our intakes are designed to ensure that the Young Carer is suitable for our programs and to determine how we can best support the young person.
15. I love this program, but I’m not a young carer and I want to get involved.
There are always ways to support! We have volunteer opportunities you can explore under the volunteer tab. If you are interested in making a donation to support our program, please contact us.
16. What happens in a program? Are you forced to share your feelings?
The program provides a safe space for children and youth to talk about what it is like to be a Young Carer if they would like. We encourage children and youth to share their unique care-giving stories, but there is zero pressure if they are not comfortable. The participants usually dictate the conversations which occur during program, giving them the opportunity to address their feelings and concerns. The staff may help facilitate certain topics, but the exchange is usually lead by the youth in program. We do our best to include ice-breakers and familiarizing games to ensure that all new members are welcomed into the space. Depending on the theme of the program, different activities, conversations. skill-development and games will be integrated.
17. I’d like to join your program, but I don’t want to talk about my dad to anyone because he has a mental illness.
You only have to talk when you want to, and about what you want to. No one is ever forced to share their care-giving story. Sometimes it may seem harder to talk about mental illness because of the stigma associated with it, but there are many Young Carers worldwide who help care for a parent with a mental illness. You are not alone!
18. Do all your programs happen at the Hospice Toronto office?
Some of our activities are held at the Hospice Toronto office, while other programs take place at many of our partner agencies such as Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto District School Board public schools, and Ronald McDonald House-Toronto. Our special events often occur in the broader community. We do our best to accommodate all members by offering programs throughout Toronto. However, we often run into challenges when trying to secure space and by default, the programs run through our office.
19. Are your services only for Hospice Toronto clients?
No, we serve any Young Carer care-giving for a parent, grandparent, sibling or any relative with a chronic or life threatening illness, disability, addiction, mental illness, or language barrier in the Toronto area.
19. Are your programs FUN?!
We may be bias, but we think are programs are AWESOME. They are a really great opportunity for Young Carers to get together, explore their experiences as care-givers and take a break from their care-giving role. We are big fans of having fun and try our best to integrate FUN into everything that we do!