Unpaid carers in Australia, comprising family members, friends, or community members, provide essential care to individuals within existing relationships. This form of caregiving extends to 3.0 million Australians (ABS, 2022) who support those with disabilities, mental health, medical and age-related conditions. Their role is integral to sustaining the viability of the care and support economy.
In October 2023, the Honourable Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Social Services, announced the inception of a National Carer Strategy with an investment of $3.8 million through to 2025-26, marking a pivotal step towards establishing a unified framework to champion Australia’s dedicated carers.
Following feedback received over the past few months, the Department of Social Services are inviting people to participate in the next consultation for the National Carer Strategy (the Strategy).
The focus for this consultation activity is the Strategy
- Vision
- Principles
- Objectives and
- Priority outcome areas.
To support this consultation period, the Department of Social Services has the draft Strategy and supporting documents available to review and a survey to capture your feedback. These are now available at National Carer Strategy | https://engage.dss.gov.au/national-carer-strategy/
Feedback on the draft Strategy is due by 11.59pm on 3 November 2024.
If you have questions about the National Carer Strategy, please contact the Department of Social Services at NationalCarerStrategy@dss.gov.au.
