Bring it! Young Carers Forum 2008 will be held at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on 26-27 November.

It is an opportunity to hear the latest research on Young Carers from both a national and global perspective.

Professor Saul Becker from the University of Nottingham will deliver the keynote address outlining the latest research from the UK and the development of the Global Young Carers network.

Facilitated by Julie McCrossin, leading Australian academics, Bettina Cass, Ros Morrow, and Tim Moore will be joined on discussion panels by representatives from Commonwealth and state government departments, key youth focused organisations, service providers, health professionals and young carers themselves to discuss four key areas:

• Identification
• Education
• Respite
• Connections to government services

At the end of the day all Forum delegates are invited to ‘Carnivale’ a twilight mocktail event in the Senate Rose Gardens of Old Parliament House between 5.30 - 7.30pm.

Day two of the Forum will begin with Joan Hughes CEO of Carers Australia being interviewed by Julie McCrossin in relation to ‘A Retrospective of Carers Associations in Australia’. This will be followed by an overview of the first days proceedings before all delegates take part in a policy development workshop using I-MEET. Delegates can nominate a preference of policy area they would like to work on in the registration process.

The Forum will conclude with ‘Where to now?’ - key recommendations that have been formulated from the days workshop with response from the Minister.

The challenges facing carers in Australia, particularly young carers, are currently a major focus in the media. We want to build on this growing awareness in the lead up to, during and after the Bring It! 2008 Young Carers Forum.

Australia has the capacity to lead the world in young carer research ….so bring your experience, bring your enthusiasm and accept the challenge… Bring it!