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We’re launching a Young Carer Wellbeing Hub in early 2025! Donate today to help us support Young Carers’ mental health.

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Little Dreamers Australia

Supporting young people aged 4 to 25 who provide care for a family member affected by disability, chronic or mental illness, addiction or frail age.

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Dream Experience

Ever wanted to ride in a hot air balloon? Or run onto the ground with your favourite footy team? Dream Experiences are our way of recognising and saying thanks to Young Carers!

Dream Experience

School Holiday Program

Our School Holiday Programs give Young Carers the opportunity to get to know other young people in caring roles and receive some much needed respite during the school holidays, with loads of fun outings and activities!

Holiday Program

Big Dreamers

Our six-month Personal Development Program helps Young Carers navigate identity, careers, study, relationships and life skills as they reach their final years of schooling.

Big Dreamers

Dreamers Hub

Our Dreamers Hub is an online support platform created by Young Carers for Young Carers.

Dreamers Hub

Tutoring

Online Tutoring provides Young Carers with tailored support and guidance, while increasing social connection and improving mental health.

Learn More
Young Carer Byron, aged 8, wears a Richmond FC jersey and holds a yellow football. He has a big toothy smile and is missing his front teeth. Dustin Martin stands to his right, with his hand on Byron's shoulder. Dusty is also smiling. They are standing at a gate with a large green football oval behind them.
Two girls stand together with their arms around each other's shoulders and big smiles. They are both wearing zip up jackets in shades of green. The image captures them from the waist upwards and behind them are rows of chairs set up for a speaker presentation.
Three Young Carers sit next to each other looking into the distance. Danny is in a red varsity jacket seated in the middle, his hands crossed at his mouth and elbows resting on his legs. He has short black hair. Taylah sits to his left, hands resting between her knees, and Julianna had her arms folded, smiling, on the right of the frame in the distance. They are sitting on the verandah with a house behind them.
Aylin stands in the centre, mid laugh with her hands in the air. She wears an oversized navy hoodie and has her hair tied half up off her face. Maddy stands on the right, crouched over mid laugh. She has long, straight brown hair and a grey knit jumper. Taylah is on the left, standing straight and looking off to the side. She has a smile on her face.
Young Carer, Julianna, and volunteer, Michelle, stand together, smiling at the camera. Julianna's long black hair is tied in two braids that sit over her shoulders, and Michelle has her arm around Julianna, her brown curly hair swept behind her shoulders. Michelle is in a stripy t-shirt with toucan birds printed on it and Juilianna is wearing a black t-shirt.
Take the quiz

Am I A Young Carer?

If you’re not too sure whether you (or someone you know) might be a Young Carer, a great place to start is this quiz! While we acknowledge that every caring role is different, and that not all Young Carers feel that they need to access support, we’re also incredibly passionate about raising awareness, promoting inclusivity and advocating for young people in caring roles!

Take the quiz

It’s likely you’re a Young Carer!

A Young Carer is someone under the age of 25 who provides, or intends to provide care for a family member with a disability, illness, mental illness or an addiction – and your answers suggest that’s you!

Being a Young Carer can be awesome! Young Carers learn compassion, maturity, kindness and empathy from having a caring role, and often develop an incredible bond with the family member they’re supporting. But being a Young Carer can also have an impact on education, social life, employment and mental and physical health. That’s something we’re passionate about changing.

If you’d like to chat to us further about being a Young Carer, or the kind of support we can provide, then give us a call on 1800 717 515. You can also check out our range of support programs on offer here.

Otherwise, you can apply for support with us straight away, and we’ll be in touch!

Apply for support

You’re probably not a Young Carer.

A Young Carer is someone under the age of 25 who provides, or intends to provide care for a family member with a disability, illness, mental illness or an addiction. Your answers didn’t seem to match up with this definition.

But fear not! We know that every caring role is different, and this quiz may not always be right! So, if you’d like to chat to us further and assess whether we can support you, then give us a call on 1800 717 515.

We encourage you to read more about Young Carers here: Expert Guide and maybe even apply for some volunteering positions with us!

Make Life Better

Get Involved

We welcome everyone to Little Dreamers through a range of tailored opportunities. If you're passionate about helping young people reach their full potential, then we'll get along!

Make Life Better

Warm and Fuzzies

"Fantastic - Life changing for Young Carers to be acknowledged & supported in their role. For our daughter, it helps bridge the gap of what we can’t do with her due to our younger children’s extra needs with their disabilities. More people need to know they can access wonderful services like this."

"Nathaniel had an absolute fantastic Dream Experience, it was great just watching it be all about him, because he deserves so much, he never ask for anything..... so thank you very much for blessing him with this opportunity the smile didn't leave his face all day and it meant the world to us. "

"We worked really hard to ensure that Ethan knew that his Dream Experience was due to the incredible hard work Ethan undertakes on a daily basis as a young carer. The experience was absolutely unbelievable and Ethan felt validated, appreciated and exceptionally special. He loved every second of it."

"The program made my child feel like he was important too. He was overwhelmed and couldn't believe how lucky he was to be given this opportunity. Little Dreamers is a wonderful organisation, they made my son feel so special and made his little dream come true. I can't thank them enough. "

"Sam had reached the point where he felt that his own dreams were fast getting out of his reach because of the sacrifices he has had to make for his family and the sacrifices his family have had to make as a whole. Little Dreamers helped him no longer feel that it is impossible to reach for his dream."

"What a fantastic organisation, we were so lucky to have the kids involved for two days of your School Holiday Program in Melbourne. Everyone was so great interacting with all the children, catering to different ages an needs. Kudos to all involved. You fill a much needed area that is often overlooked."

"We just got home from the most amazing three days, our first family holiday! Maggie had the best time ever! We really don't know how to thank you, we will remember this for the rest of our lives. We are so grateful and appreciate it all so much. Little Dreamers made Maggie's dream come true and more. "

"Thank you so much for everything you have done for our family. We have found two amazing mentors for our children through your charity. Both of our children had amazing Dreams Experiences that have changed them forever, they will never ever forget your kindness. We can’t thank you enough. "

🌱 Why does the Young Carer Wellbeing Hub (the Hub) matter?
Young Carers are the unsung heroes in our communities, providing invaluable unpaid care to family members who need it. That`s why the Hub is so crucial. It`s a place where Young Carers can access therapy and support tailored to their needs.

With your help, we can make this vision a reality. Every dollar you donate – big or small – will go directly towards setting up this much-needed space.

Interested in making an immediate impact? Look through our Holiday Wish List to cover the cost of a specific item, such as a couch or therapy tools. Head to the link in our bio to donate now.

#YCWHub
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In case you missed it, this holiday season, we`re running a campaign to help get our Young Carer Wellbeing Hub (the Hub) up and running!

So, what is the Hub? 🌈 Our new Hub is a safe, judgement-free space where Young Carers can access a variety of therapies designed to address the unique challenges they face in their caring roles. To make this happen, we`re asking for your support in creating this essential space for our community.

By covering the cost of an item on our Holiday Wish List or making a financial donation, you`re directly contributing to the heart of the Hub – making it a warm, comfortable, and supportive environment for Young Carers to focus on their wellbeing. Donate today at bit.ly/holiday-wish-list or follow the link in our bio!

#YCWHub
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It`s Giving Tuesday, and we`re kicking off our campaign to help make our new Young Carer Wellbeing Hub (the Hub) a reality for Young Carers seeking access to a variety of therapies in VIC in early 2025!

Over the next two weeks, we`re aiming to raise $20,000 to create a welcoming space for our community to access the support they deserve. Whether you can cover the cost of an item from our Holiday Wish List or make a financial contribution, your support will make a huge impact. Every donation counts! 💖 Donate today at bit.ly/holiday-wish-list or follow the link in our bio.

#GivingTuesday #YCWHub
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Last week, our incredible Founder and CEO, Madeleine Buchner, was announced as a finalist for Australian of the Year! HUGE! Tonight, she’ll be attending the Victorian awards alongside other amazing state finalists being celebrated for their work and activism in our community. The winners of four categories, including Victoria’s Australian of the Year, will be announced.

Maddy started Little Dreamers at just 16, and now, thanks to her vision and dedication, we support over 6,500 Young Carers each year with respite, education, mentorship, advocacy, and resources.

Good luck, Maddy! We couldn’t be prouder of you and all that you’ve achieved! 💖

#AustralianOfTheYear #LittleDreamers #YoungCarers
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In case you missed it, applications are open for the Young Carer Bursary Program and close on 22 November 2024. If you`re a Young Carer studying in Australia between 12 and 25 years old, this is for you!

So, what is the Young Carer Bursary Program? Simply put, it`s a helping hand. It`s money given to Young Carers to make life a bit easier while they`re studying and caring for someone. For the upcoming 2025 academic year, the program will offer 1,592 bursaries, each valued at $3,768, that Young Carers can use for various academic supports such as laptops, stationery, uniforms, school fees, and more.

Learn more and apply today via the link in our bio!
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