Wales has the highest proportion of young carers under 18 in the UK

It is more than just doing the dishes, she said.

As someone who worked as a Carers Development Officer before my election to the Senedd, I have always been keen as a Member of the Senedd to raise awareness and tackle the stigma faced by our young carers.

Young carers are typically aged between six and 17 and provide unpaid care for a family member or friend who is ill, disabled, has a mental health condition or a substance misuse problem.

Wales has the highest proportion of young carers under 18 in the UK.

Research continues to highlight that young carers are more likely to have poorer physical health and educational outcomes than their peers and this can have life-long consequences for these young people.

That is why it is important to learn from young carers and our Young Carers Forum in Torfaen is a great group of young people to learn from.

They are not afraid to say what works and what does not work. I recently met with representatives of the young carers both at the Senedd and at Mount Pleasant Hall in Cwmbran as part of Carers Rights Day.

It was fantastic to hear the young people speak so positively of the support they receive at Torfaen Learning Zone. Feedback on experiences in schools was more varied. An important reminder that there is more work to do to ensure that all young carers get the support they need.

Which brings me back to the difference between excuses and reasons. I am sure we are all guilty of using excuses to attempt to lessen blame or avoid criticism and, equally, most of us have probably provided a reason when we are trying to explain why something happened.

Young carers do not start from a level playing field. As the young carer said, it is not an excuse, it is a reason. That is why we need to ensure our young carers get the support they need – consistently – to ensure they can deal with the challenges they face.