General advice
Family Lives provides support for all elements of family life. Call the free helpline on 0808 800 2222 (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat-Sun 10am-3pm), or visit the website www.familylives.org.uk to find advice on a range of aspects including sleep, health, development, and bonding with your baby.
Home-Start helps families through sending trained volunteers to visit and offer compassionate support to parents. Find your local Home-Start here www.home-start.org.uk/find-your-nearest-home-start.
National Childbirth Trust at www.nct.org.uk offers a range of online resources about children’s development and health, and life as a parent.
Gingerbread supports single parents via online resources, forums and local support groups. Find out more at www.gingerbread.org.uk, or call their free helpline for single parents at 0808 802 0925 (visit the website to get full details of the opening hours: https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/talk-to-us/).
Each local authority in England has an online Family Information Service, with local information and advice for parents. Search Family Information Service plus your local authority to find out more.
If you have any concerns about your or your child’s health and wellbeing, we also recommend that you talk to your health visitor or GP.
Your child’s wellbeing and development
For advice on how to develop your child’s speech, reading and communication skills, please visit:
- I CAN at www.icancharity.org.uk
- Words for Life at www.wordsforlife.org.uk (online service only).
- NHS Choices (online service only) has advice on how to help your child’s speech at www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/babys-development/play-and-learning/help-your-baby-learn-to-talk
You can find information about healthy eating and nutrition for your child at First Steps Nutrition Trust, www.firststepsnutrition.org (online service only).
For advice about how to encourage your child to sleep better, please see the tips on the NHS website www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/sleep-problems-in-young-children.
Financial support
Your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can offer independent advice on a range of issues including housing, debt and consumer issues. You can find out more, including where your nearest CAB is, at www.citizensadvice.org.uk. To speak to someone about money issues, call CAB’s national phone service - Adviceline on 0800 144 8848.
Healthy Start is a scheme offering free vouchers for milk, fruit, vegetables and vitamins, for parents with children under four years old. Visit www.healthystart.nhs.uk to see if you qualify.
The Trussell Trust offers guidance for those in a financial crisis. Call the free helpline on 0808 208 2138 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). To find your local foodbank, visit www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank.
Childcare Choices is a government scheme offering parents help with childcare costs. Visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to find out what help you may be eligible for.
Smoking, alcohol and drug abuse
For help quitting smoking, the NHS provides guidance on its website www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking, where you can also identify your local Stop Smoking Service. You can call the Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044 to speak to a trained advisor (Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm).
Drinkaware at www.drinkaware.co.uk offers help to anyone worried about their own or someone else’s drinking. Call the free alcohol helpline, Drinkline, on 0300 123 1110 (Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm), or use the online chat service, Drinkchat, on the website (Mon-Fri 9am-2pm).
We Are With You (formerly Addaction) at www.wearewithyou.org.uk is a UK-wide treatment agency, helping individuals, families and communities to manage the effects of drug and alcohol misuse. Use the online chat service, available on their website, to speak to a trained advisor (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm)
Talk to FRANK offers free confidential advice on drugs and alcohol. You can email, text (on 82111), phone on 0300 123 6600 (24-hour helpline), or get advice via webchat at www.talktofrank.com/livechat
Safety and mental health
If you are concerned about domestic violence, please contact Refuge at refuge.org.uk on the free 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247.
Mind provides advice on a range of mental health problems, including the types of mental health problem; where to get help; medication and alternative treatments; and advocacy. Visit www.mind.org.uk or phone 0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm, Mon–Fri).
For advice on children and young people’s mental health, please visit Young Minds at youngminds.org.uk, or call their Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544 (9.30am-4pm, Mon-Fri).
The Samaritans provide confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair. Freephone: 116 123 (24-hour helpline).
If you are suffering from postnatal illness, the Association for Post Natal Illness offers advice and support. Visit their website www.apni.org or call 020 7386 0868 (10am-2pm, Mon-Fri).