National Carers Week 2026: Dates, Theme and How to Take Part

When is National Carers Week 2026?

National Carers Week 2026 runs from Sunday 11 October to Saturday 17 October 2026. It always falls in the second full week of October, so if you are planning a workplace or community event, that is the window to work with.

The week is run by Carers Australia, the national peak body for unpaid carers, and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Each state and territory carer organisation (Carers NSW, Carers Victoria, Carers SA, Carers WA and so on) runs its own events under the same banner, which is why you will see slightly different programs depending on where you live.

The 2026 theme: Care for a carer

The theme for 2026 is “Care for a carer: Making carers visible”. The wording is deliberate. Most unpaid carers are invisible in the ordinary sense: they are the daughter who drives her father to dialysis three times a week, the husband managing his wife’s medication, the parent who has not had a night off in four years. They rarely call themselves carers, and the people around them often do not realise how much they are holding together.

Carers Australia’s Carer Wellbeing Survey found that carers with good access to support had healthy levels of wellbeing compared with those who had little or none. That is the practical point behind the theme. Noticing a carer is the first step; the second is connecting them to help.

Who is a carer?

A carer is anyone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has:

• a disability
• a chronic or terminal illness
• a mental health condition
• drug or alcohol dependency
• frailty due to age

Carers Australia puts the number at more than 3 million people. That is one in every nine Australians. Some care for a few hours a week, others around the clock.

You do not need a formal arrangement, a Centrelink payment or anyone’s approval to be a carer. If you are doing the work, you are one.

What actually happens during the week

National Carers Week is not a single event. It is a week where hundreds of organisations run things at the same time. In a typical year you will find:

• Local events. Morning teas, information sessions, pamper days and lunches run by councils, libraries, hospitals and carer organisations. Many are free and open to any carer. The full list is on the National Carers Week events page.
• Workplace activities. Morning teas and sessions on carer-friendly leave. Around one in eight workers is also a carer.
• Media and social media. Carers Australia and the state bodies push stories from real carers under the theme, with a hashtag campaign that changes each year.

How to take part

If you are a carer

• Go to something. Even one morning tea. Carers often say the most useful part of the week was meeting other people in the same position.
• Register with Carer Gateway. Carer Gateway (1800 422 737) is the Australian Government’s free service for carers. It offers counselling, peer support, coaching and some emergency respite. Registration takes a phone call.
• Check your payments. Many carers are eligible for Carer Payment or Carer Allowance and have never applied. Our Carer Payment and Allowance guide walks through current rates, the income and assets tests and how to claim.
• Look at respite options. A short break is not a luxury. Providers who list respite care on Carevo can be found by suburb, and there are aged care and NDIS funding routes to pay for it depending on who you care for.

If you know a carer

• Ask how they are, and mean it. Then ask what would actually help this week: a meal, a lift, two hours of sitting with their mum so they can go to a dentist appointment.
• Share the Carer Gateway number with them. A lot of carers have never heard of it.
• If you are a manager, find out what your workplace’s carer’s leave policy is and tell your team. Under the National Employment Standards, employees can use personal leave to care for an immediate family or household member.

What it means for families using aged care or NDIS supports

For families, the week is a useful reminder that the care system is built around two people, not one. Aged care assessments through My Aged Care and NDIS planning meetings both ask about the informal supports a person has, which usually means the family carer. If that carer burns out, the whole arrangement falls over.

A few practical things to check in October:

• Support at Home and Home Care Packages can fund respite and some domestic help, which takes pressure off the family carer. If the person you care for is over 65 and does not have a package, an assessment through My Aged Care is the starting point.
• NDIS plans can include short term accommodation (respite) and community access supports that give the carer regular time off. It is reasonable to raise carer strain at a plan review.

What it means for workers

If you work in disability or aged care, National Carers Week is about the unpaid family members you work alongside, not about you; Aged Care Employee Day in August is the paid workforce’s day. That said, plenty of support workers are also unpaid carers at home.

If you are thinking about turning caring experience into paid work, a lot of people do exactly that. Our support worker jobs page and the guide to becoming an independent support worker cover what is involved.

Key dates at a glance

Frequently asked questions

When is National Carers Week 2026?

National Carers Week 2026 runs from Sunday 11 October to Saturday 17 October 2026. It is held in the second full week of October each year and is run by Carers Australia with funding from the Australian Government.

What is the theme for National Carers Week 2026?

The 2026 theme is “Care for a carer: Making carers visible”. It asks Australians to notice the carers in their families, workplaces and communities, and to do something practical to support them during the week.

Who counts as a carer?

A carer is anyone who provides unpaid care to a family member or friend who has a disability, a chronic or terminal illness, a mental health condition, or who is frail with age. Carers Australia estimates more than 3 million Australians are in this position, and many do not use the word carer to describe themselves.

How can I take part in National Carers Week?

You can register or attend a local event through carersweek.com.au, share the week on social media, ask your workplace to run a morning tea or a carers information session, or simply check in with a carer you know. If you are a carer, the week is a good prompt to register with Carer Gateway and check what payments and respite you can get.

Sources: National Carers Week, Carers Australia; About National Carers Week; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, National Carers Week; Carer Gateway. Dates and theme checked 26 August 2026.