Hidden in Plain Sight: A Mixed-methods Study of Young Carers in New Delhi and Mumbai

Thomas, Teemol (2025) Hidden in Plain Sight: A Mixed-methods Study of Young Carers in New Delhi and Mumbai. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Young carers are children who assume caregiving responsibilities for a family member who is ill, disabled, or otherwise in need of care. While such children exist worldwide, awareness of their presence varies significantly between contexts. In India, recognition of young carers remains minimal, with their experiences largely absent from public discourse and policy considerations.

This research study aimed to understand the experience of being a young carer in the Indian context by drawing on the knowledge of children with caregiving responsibilities from two cities in India, New Delhi and Mumbai, using an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 young carers and six adult key informants. This was followed by a quantitative survey of 528 school going children.

Using the Children’s Engagement in Household Tasks (CEHT) Measure and Impact of Children’s Engagement in Household Tasks ICEHT measure (ICEHT), this research has illustrated that children are not merely passive recipients of care and reproductive labour within Indian households. They undertake a range of domestic tasks. At the same time, there are a group of children in India who undertake intense domestic and care tasks for their family members. These ‘adult-like’ tasks are substantially greater than those in which children and young people in India typically engage in. Therefore, calling for inclusion of children, especially young carers, as active participants in reproductive labour debates, from which they are currently absent. These young carers experience severe implications due to their role. However, epistemic injustices towards children and young carers in India contribute to their hidden nature. This study also accounts for the limited support they receive and highlights that poverty and lack of welfare provisions in the country are the key indicators influencing their role in the Indian context.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Social Work
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	18 May 2026 13:01
Last Modified:	18 May 2026 13:01
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103071
DOI:

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