Young carers, defined as children who take on substantial caregiving responsibilities for ill family members (Becker, 2000), often fall through the gaps of various support systems. They may be overlooked by adult service providers and unaware of their legal rights to an assessment, unlike their adult counterparts. Their needs are often not sufficiently visible to attract attention from schools or overburdened children’s services unless significant harm is suspected (Thomas et al., 2003). However, their emotional wellbeing is closely linked to their academic outcomes, creating significant barriers to education and employment. Additionally, young carers face unique challenges as they transition into adulthood, often experiencing greater difficulties than their non-caring peers. Reducing the psychological and physical burdens of young caregiving is critical to ensure equitable access to education and social opportunities for them. Since young carers spend much of their time in school when not fulfilling caregiving duties, schools are uniquely positioned to play a pivotal role in their identification and support. However, young carers often remain unrecognized and inadequately supported within the school system, highlighting a significant gap in both policy and practice. This gap, can perpetuate the difficulties young carers face in achieving their educational potential and accessing necessary social support.

Drawing on the Reggio Emilia Approach (REA), this paper argues for a fundamental shift in how schools support young carers. The REA framework emphasizes a culturally responsive education system where children are viewed as active members of both their families and wider communities, capable of meaningful contributions to society (Rigney & Kelly, 2023). In this context, education is conceived as a democratic process that offers equal opportunities for all individuals to exercise their rights and agency. By incorporating the REA principles, schools can create environments where the needs of young carers are recognized and addressed, fostering a sense of belonging and support.This paper is part of a broader research study exploring the lived experiences of young carers in Kenya. It examines how schools can leverage the REA principles to identify and support young carers and explores the gaps in the identification and support mechanisms for these students within educational and social welfare systems. The study aims to emphasize the need for more responsive and equitable practices that address the unique challenges faced by young carers, ultimately contributing towards a more inclusive and supportive educational experience.

The study adopted an exploratory qualitative design. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with twenty young carers aged 10 and 22 years and nine key informants. Young carers were selected through criteria sampling which included: • 10 - 18 years boys and girls • Caring for a terminally ill family member(s) • Being primary caregivers or offering substantial help to the sick • Carrying out caregiving as part of their daily life. The initial focus on a specific age range evolved during the fieldwork in response to several key factors. Notably, some participants had assumed substantial caregiving responsibilities for a parent prior to reaching the age of 18, and into adulthood. Thus, the study encompassed young carers over the age of 18 whose educational trajectories had been significantly disrupted due to their caregiving roles. This disruption included school dropout and delayed educational progression. Such considerations broadened the scope of the research to capture a more comprehensive understanding of the long-term impacts of caregiving on education and life outcomes. Due to the absence of population information and the invisibility of young carers, I utilized a large sample size and maximum variation sampling (Patton, 2002). I employed multiple pathways to reach potential participants including gatekeepers from the various government ministries. Gatekeepers identified households with children meeting the young carer inclusion criteria. Initial home visits were conducted to screen potential participants, obtain parental or guardian consent, and schedule interviews, which were primarily conducted at participants' residences. Key informants were identified and recruited during the administrative processes associated with the research. While gathering preliminary information on young carers, I provided potential informants with an overview of the study's purpose and outlined my intention to conduct formal interviews with key informants. Those who accepted were invited to take part in the second phase of the research involving formal interviews. All Interviews were held in English, Swahili, or Gikuyu, the local language of Murang’a County, with sessions averaging forty minutes. Notes were taken during interviews and summarized afterward. A qualitative thematic analysis (Silverman, 2011; Braun & Clarke, 2013) was applied to explore participants' lived experiences, identifying themes and patterns of meaning grounded in their contextual narratives.

The study revealed the extensive range of caregiving responsibilities undertaken by young carers, including physical, emotional, and economic support. Participants faced numerous challenges, such as emotional burdens, difficulties in understanding the illness, stigma, and neglect. Despite these hardships, young carers found meaning in their caregiving roles, often linking their actions to concepts of good karma or the hope of improving their parent's health. Schools emerged as important safe spaces where young carers could temporarily escape their caregiving duties and focus on other aspects of their lives. However, schools also posed potential sources of distress, as stigma, lack of recognition, and insufficient support added to their emotional strain. Key gaps in the identification and support of young carers within schools included insufficient resources, overcrowded classrooms, bureaucratic barriers, and weak collaboration with families and stakeholders. Implementing REA principles such as respect, collaborative learning, and flexible and responsive curriculum, schools can actively address these gaps while promoting inclusive, collaborative, and empowering learning environments that support the holistic development of all students. The study argues that there is a need for psychosocial support for the YCs, and psychoeducation of their social networks, to support and reduce stigmatization. Additional recommendations include increasing health education in schools, creating new avenues for reporting and seeking help, integrating psychosocial education, and providing dedicated guidance and counseling personnel. These steps could enhance recognition, support, and inclusion of young carers within school systems.

Aldridge, J. (2018). Where are we now? Twenty-five years of research, policy and practice on young carers. Critical Social Policy, 38(1), 155–165. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261018317724525 Becker, S. (2000). Young Carers. In The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Social Work (p. 378). Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful Qualitative Research a practi cal guide for beginners. SAGE Publications, Inc. Dearden, C., & Becker, S. (2003). Young Carers and Education. Carers UK, 1–27. http://oxfordsfx.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/oxford?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&genre=dissertations+%2526+theses&sid=ProQ:ProQuest+Dissertations+%2526+Theses%253A+UK+%2526+Ireland&atitle=&title=Young+carers+and+education Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (2012). The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation. Praeger. Fraser, S. (2012). Authentic Childhood: Experiencing Reggio Emilia in the Classroom (Third). Nelson Education Ltd. Mcnally, S. A., & Slutsky, R. (2017). Key elements of the Reggio Emilia approach and how they are interconnected to create the highly regarded system of early childhood education. Early Child Development and Care, 187(12), 1925–1937. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1197920 Rigney, L., & Kelly, S. (2023). Reterritorialising pedagogies of listening : bringing into dialogue culturally responsive pedagogies with Reggio Emilia principles. Discourse : Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 44(1), 147–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2021.1961688 Silverman, D. (2011). Interpreting Qualitative Data (4th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. Warhurst, A., Bayless, S., & Maynard, E. (2022). Teachers’ Perceptions of Supporting Young Carers in Schools: Identifying Support Needs and the Importance of Home–School Relationships. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710755 Zuntas, A., Vioulac, C., Justin, P., Leu, A., & Dorard, G. (2022). Professionals ’ Awareness of Young Carers in Schools : Results from a French Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19.