I had assumed that the new campaign launched by Barnardo's today to raise awareness about the number of young people caring for a parent or sibling at home was largely about raising public understanding and support for this group of children.
But the survey of teachers commissioned to support the research suggests there is still a long way to go with them first! Although nine out of 10 teachers express concern that young carers might be falling through the net, half have no idea whether the young carers they teach are known to other teachers or the wider management team. And a quarter don't know if they have been identified by social services.
What does this say about joint-working and information-sharing in the real world? If teachers are concerned, why aren't they involving the school counsellor or nurse, or speaking to the child's family about getting help from social services?
Barnardo's discussions with 83 young carers revealed that, on average, they spent four years looking after a relative or parent before their situation was "spotted and acted on". They are waiting to be noticed and helped - so why aren't schools being more proactive?
Under the Education and Inspections Bill, which is due to receive Royal Asssent this week, schools will have a new duty to promote pupils' well-being. Maybe this, along with any publicity Barnardo's achieves, will encourage teachers to act on their concerns for the young carers in their class.