Spun Gold has been commissioned by Channel 5 to produce 12 Years Old and Caring for Mum, a compelling 1×60’ documentary, which explores the important social issues of child carers from the perspective of the children themselves.
The film follows three youngsters, aged between 11 and 13, from different families as they go through daily life at home. Told in the first-person, it’s an intimate account of their lives, as the kids show us the direct impact on them of the difficult circumstances which, through no fault of their own, they have to cope with.
The young narrators use video cameras to record their most intimate hopes and fears as they reflect on the experiences and challenges they face; such as what it’s like to have to race home from school to cook and clean for a bed-ridden parent. The children reveal, with the honesty and insight that only children can, the extraordinary pressures on their family relationships, friendships, schoolwork and their own life ambitions. The result is an emotional roller-coaster of a programme that offers a fresh and revealing insight into one of the most pressing social issues facing us today.
12 Years Old and Caring for Mum: Through A Child’s Eyes airs on Channel 5 at 10pm on Thursday 3 July 2014.