Useful Links for Families
Adoption/fostering
Behavioural Problems
Child safety
Children and/or families in need
Disability
Drug/alcohol addiction
Family relationships
Family separation/divorce/lone parents
Forces Families
General parenting
Mental health
Money and domestic issues
Multiple births
Pregnancy & birth
Home-Start UK provides these links for your information and
convenience only. We do not control or monitor these sites, nor does
their inclusion mean that we recommend or endorse them. We reserve the
right to withdraw any of these links at any time. See our disclaimer for more information.
Please report broken links to webmaster@home-start.org.uk.
Adoption/fostering
British Association for Adoption & Fostering
The
British Association for Adoption & Fostering is the leading UK
charity working for children separated from their birth families.
Post Adoption Centre
The
Post Adoption Centre provides advice, support and information for
anyone involved in adoption. They offer a telephone advice line and a
contact and mediation service.
back to top
Behavioural Problems
ADDISS
Provides people-friendly information and resources about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to anyone who needs assistance - parents, sufferers, teachers or health professionals. Whatever you're looking for in ADHD, they'll do their best to help.
Cry-sis
Offers self-help and support for families with excessively crying, sleepless and demanding children.
08074 045 011
KidsBehaviour
Focuses on understanding children's behaviour and offering solutions to dealing with a wide range of behavioural problems
Child safety
Barnardos
Barnardo's
works with the most vulnerable children and young people in their
homes, schools and communities, helping them transform their lives and
fulfil their potentials.
Children 1st Scotland
Works to give every child in Scotland a safe and secure childhood.
Children First Wales
Children
First is the National Assembly for Wales' major programme designed to
transform the management and delivery of social services for children
in Wales.
NSPCC
Specialises in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children.
Children and/or families in need
4 children believes that all children and their parents should get the support they need in their community - starting from the early years, through to their out of school and teenage years.
Action for Prisoners' Families
Action
for Prisoners' Families (APF) is the national organisation acting as
the voice for the concerns of prisoners' families across the UK. They
also run a helpline for families which can provide information and
support to anyone with a relative or friend in prison anywhere in
England and Wales.
Childline
Free
national helpline for children in trouble or danger. Provides 24 hour
confidential counselling service. Visit website or call 0800 11 11
Children First for Health the interactive guide to life and health for children and young people.
The Children's Society
Works with and for children to help them deal with life's harshest challenges.
FSU
A leading UK charity, offering support to children and families in need.
Counselling-directory
Provides
a huge counselling support network, enabling those in distress to find
a counsellor close to them and appropriate for their needs.
Disability
Disability Information Services
Makes
high quality, impartial and independent disability information
available to enquirers across the UK. Includes a database of national
and regional services.
Disabled Parents Network
Disabled
Parents Network (DPN) is a national organisation of and for disabled
people who are parents or who hope to become parents, and their
families, friends and supporters. DPN is run by volunteers, with a
small number of paid employees. They are there for all parents,
including parents with physical or sensory impairments, people with
learning difficulties or long-term illnesses, people with mental health
issues and Deaf parents.
Family Fund
Family
Fund champion an inclusive society where families with severely
disabled or seriously ill children have choices and the opportunity to
enjoy ordinary life.
Learning Disabilities
This
website has been designed to provide information about issues which
affect the lives of people with learning disabilities and is a useful
gateway to some of the other resources on learning disabilities, both
here in the United Kingdom and overseas.
National Face to Face Network
Offers a befriending service to parents of disabled children.
Domestic Violence
Refuge
Offer emergency accommodation, nursery and after school facilities, one to one counselling for domestic violence victims.
Drug/alcohol addiction
Adfam
Provides
support and information to family and friends of drug and alcohol
users. Includes a search facility for UK support groups and helplines.
Family relationships
Pippin
Promotes positive early family and parent-infant relationships through easing the adjustment of the developing family.
Relate
Provides
counselling, sex therapy, relationship education and training to
support couple and family relationships throughout life.
Scottish Marriage Care
A family support charity with 40 years experience in the specialist field of relationships.
Family separation/divorce/lone parents
Association for Shared Parenting
The
Association for Shared Parenting (ASP) exists to promote the rights of
children to the nurture of both parents after separation or divorce and
to encourage and support parents in the fulfilment of that right.
Centre for Separated Families
Works with everyone affected by family separation in order to bring about better outcomes for children.
Families Need Fathers
Supports and provides information to parents about maintaining relationships with their children after a family breakdown.
Gingerbread
The national organisation for lone parents and their children. Over 500 support groups in the UK.
One Parent Families
Provides resources and information for lone parents.
Only Dads
An
organisation for single fathers around the world offersing its members
advice, a forum for making contact, a number of benefits like
discounted holidays and clothes purchases, and free legal and financial
advice.
Forces Families
Army Families Federation
AFF
is a registered charity that acts as a unique two-way communications
link between the British Army and its families. Looks at current issues
and concerns raised by Army families and distributes a free quarterly
magazine, AFF Families' Journal.
BFG Net
The
official internet site of the British Forces in Germany. Provides
information about family welfare and support that is available.
back to top
General parenting
BBC Online - Parenting
Advice on parenting, preparing for parenthood throughout pregnancy, illnesses, baby's needs and parents needs.
Bullying Online
Help, advice and information on bullying for parents and children.
Community Legal Service Direct
A
free government-funded confidential advice service providing help and
advice on a range of common legal problems. Download information
leaflets on subjects such as divorce and separation, mental health,
education, domestic violence.
Fathers Direct
Welcome
to Fathers Direct, the national information centre on fatherhood. We're
here to help you harness the full potential of fatherhood with news,
training information, policy updates, research summaries and guides for
supporting fathers and their families.
HomeDad
Online discussion and advice forum for home-based fathers.
NCH Action for Children
Runs over 460 projects throughout the UK which include family centres, abuse, disability and homelessness projects.
Netmums
Netmums
is a local network for mums by mums with a wealth of information and
advice on being a mum with young children in your home town.
Parents Advice Centre
Parents Advice Centre (PAC) provides a telephone helpline and
face-to-face support and guidance service for families on issues such
as separating parents, bullying, discipline, aggression, unhappiness or
abuse. Based in Northern Ireland.
Parent Centre
Information
and support for parents on how to help with your child's learning,
including advice on choosing a school and finding childcare.
Parenting UK
Promotes
and maintains a high profile for parenting education and support,
promoting growth in knowledge, skills, understanding and personal
development of parents.
Parentline Plus
Provides support for parents under stress. Visit this website or phone 0808 800 222.
Raising Kids
Your
online parenting magazine - offers support, information, and friendship
to everyone who's raising kids - whatever your circumstances or income.
Sharing Care
SharingCare.co.uk
aims to provide a service for parents seeking affordable and flexible
childcare. Part time and flexible working practices are becoming
increasingly popular and yet parents often struggle to find childcare
to match.
Sure Start
Find
out about the wide range of SureStart services that are currently
available, from Children's Centres and early support programmes to
information and advice on health and financial matters.
Talk To Your Baby
Talk
To Your Baby is a campaign run by the National Literacy Trust to
encourage parents and carers to talk more to children from birth to
three.
What about the children?
Promotes
parental responsibility with particular emphasis on the emotional needs
of children under three, through research and campaigns.
Mental health
MIND
Working to provide a better life for those with experience of mental distress.
The Association for Post Natal Illness
Provides
support to mothers suffering from post-natal illness, increases public
awareness of the illness and encourages research into its cause and
nature.
An interactive website, containing information for young people, parents and professionals about children's mental health.
Money and domestic issues
Home Heat helpline
Gives advice and information on reducing fuel bills and details on how to access grants and benefits.
Multiple births
The Multiple Births Foundation
A
vital resource to professionals and families alike, it aims to improve
the care and support of multiple birth families through the education
of all relevant professionals.
TAMBA - Twins and Multiple Births Association
Supports families with twins, triplets or more, individually, through local Twins Clubs and specialist support groups.
Pregnancy & birth
Bounty
Best known for the educational guides and product sample packs they provide to expectant mothers, new parents and young families.
Cry-sis
Offers self-help and support for families with excessively crying, sleepless and demanding children.
08074 045 011
National Childbirth Trust
Advice, information and services in realtion to pregnancy, birth, the early weeks and months right through to toddler stage.
Home-Start says that children under five are of value because they are - not as commodities, or consumers, or competitors but as individuals growing up and being special. And because it's hard being a good parent, particularly in these formative years, volunteers offer friendship and support that make a difference to the lives of children and their families
Don Brand
Director of policy and workforce development
National Institute of Social Work
