A-Z of parenting support and help in the UK

If you're looking for further help on anything, be it allergies, breastfeeding or relationships, find the right organisation to contact from our list below.

If you'd like to suggest a support organisation for this page, please email us at help@netmums.com

A

Addiction

AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) Help and support if you are struggling with an alcohol addiction.

Action on Addiction National charity offering expert advice as well as residential rehab and community-based addiction treatment.

Addaction A drug, alcohol and mental health charity that supports people to make lasting change.

Al-Anon Providing support to anyone whose life is, or has been, affected by someone else’s alcoholism.

Adoption

Adoption UK A national charity offering practical support and advocacy for all those parenting or supporting children who cannot live with their birth parents.

CoramBAAF An alphabetical listing of fostering and adoption agencies all over the the UK.

First 4 Adoption Detailed advice and information if you’re thinking of adopting a child. It can give clear and impartial information about adopting and put you in touch with adoption agencies in your area.

Gov.uk Detailed overviews of the UK government's adoption processes.

PAC-UK Offers therapy, support, advice and counselling for anyone affected by adoption.

TACT (The Adolescent and Children’s Trust) The UK's largest fostering and adoption charity and voluntary agency, TACT helps to find families for children and young people in the care of local authorities.

Adult health

Macmillan Cancer Support Providing physical, emotional and financial support to families affected by cancer.

Autism

National Autistic Society The UK's leading charity for autistic people and their families - offering information, resources and support.

B

Baby and child health

Allergy UK The UK's leading allergy charity with a free helpline offering support and information to those suffering from allergies.

Asthma UK Providing expert advice and support for families dealing with asthma.

Bliss The leading UK charity for babies born premature or sick. It supports families with a baby in neonatal care and work with health professionals to provide training and improve care for babies in SCBU.

British Heart Foundation Funds research into cures and treatments for heart and circulatory diseases, and provides information and support for anyone affected by them.

Cystic Fibrosis Trust A charity offering resources, as well as practical and financial support for families dealing with Cystic Fibrosis.

Diabetes UK Provides information and advice for people managing both Type I and Type II diabetes.

ERIC A charity dedicated to offering support to children and teens with bowel and bladder problems.

Group B Strep Support The only national charity dedicated to providing up-to-date information and support to families affected by Strep B.

NHS The most comprehensive and up-to-date medical advice from the NHS. Contact 111 to speak to a medical professional for health advice.

Breastfeeding

La Leche League Trained breastfeeding counsellors provide breastfeeding support from pregnancy onwards at meet-ups across Great Britain.

Lactation Consultants of Great Britain A national register of certified consultants to offer specialist help and advice to breastfeeding mothers.

Birth

Birth Trauma Association A charity that supports women who've suffered difficult births.

Doula UK Voluntary network to help pregnant women to find a doula to support them during pregnancy and childbirth.

Which? Birth Choice Dedicated to helping you decide where to give birth.

C

Child and teen wellbeing

Anti-Bullying Network Open to teachers, parents and young people – providing support to tackle bullying in schools.

Barnardo's Providing varied support to the most vulnerable children across the UK, whether the issue is child poverty, sexual exploitation, disability or domestic violence.

Beat Eating Disorder Charity Support services for those with anorexia, bulimia, overeaters and carers, including friends and family members affected.

Childline A confidential helpline for children and young people - you can contact a ChildLine counsellor about anything that’s concerning you.

FRANK Confidential information and advice on drugs.

FPA (Family Planning Association) A charity offering education, information and advocacy about sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing.

NSPCC Worried about a child? You can report your concerns, even if you’re unsure, to the NSPCC via its helpline. Open 24/7, get advice from professional counsellors.

Young Minds A guide to the NHS's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for young people and parents.

Contraception

Marie Stopes Offers a service to help you find the right contraction to best suit your personal needs.

Sexwise The official website of the Family Planning Association (FPA), Sexwise gives honest advice about contraception and STIs.

D

Domestic abuse

24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline A completely confidential, nationwide service for women experiencing domestic violence, their family, friends and others calling on their behalf. Translations facilities and service for callers who are deaf or hard of hearing are available.

Domestic Violence Assist Helping victims of domestic violence arrange emergency court hearings to apply for an Injunction Order. It can help you complete all the necessary paper work and even arrange a solicitor to attend court with you.

Everyman Project A charity aimed at helping violent, angry and abusive men change their behaviour.

ManKind A national charity providing help and support for male victims of domestic abuse.

Refuge A national domestic violence helpline for women and children, with a network of refuges across the country.

E

Education

Advisory Centre for Education Providing support on school-based issues, such as bullying, exclusions, special needs and appealing against a school decision.

British Dyslexia Association The BDA offers advice, information and help to dyslexic people, their families and professionals who support them.

DSE Working to improve early intervention and education for children with Down syndrome around the world.

Dyslexia Assist Founded by a group of parents and children who struggled through the education system. Its website offers help and practical advice, plus it’s written in dyslexic font and has speech-to-text software.

Mencap A free service offering advice and information for those with a learning disability.

F

Family support

Family Lives A national charity which provides help with all aspects of family life. From pregnancy to primary school or divorce and separation. Whatever the situation, it can help.

Family Rights Group A confidential service that supports parents and other family members whose children are involved with, or need, social care services.

Home-Start One of the leading family support charities in the UK, helping parents with young children deal with whatever life throws at them.

Fostering

Fosterline A free, confidential helpline offering information for current and prospective foster carers. Provides confidential, impartial advice.

The Fostering Network The UK’s leading fostering charity and membership organisation, offering support to those who foster and improving opportunities for fostered children and young people.

Gov.uk Detailed overviews of the UK's fostering processes.

Fertility

Fertility Network UK The national charity for anyone who has ever experienced fertility problems.

Genesis Research Trust A charity founded by Professor Robert Winston, dedicated to funding research in order to give everyone who wants to have children the chance to experience a healthy pregnancy and have a family.

First aid

St John's Ambulance The nation's leading first aid charity, teaching everyone simple, life-saving skills.

H

Housing

Shelter A national helpline providing advice of housing issues – please note they DO NOT provide housing.

L

LGBT+

FFlag A voluntary organisation and charity dedicated to supporting parents and their LGBT+ children.

Galop, LGBT anti-violence charity A confidential helpline for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people experiencing hate crime, sexual violence and domestic abuse.

LGBT Foundation Providing a wide range of support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people.

New Family Social The only national LGBT+ adoption and fostering charity in the UK, which encourages inclusion and offers support in the adoption and fostering process.

Stonewall The UK's leading charity working with institutions to fight homophobia - as well as offering a wide variety of resources and support for LGBT+ individuals.

M

Menopause

Menopause Matters An award-winning, independent website providing up-to-date, accurate information about the menopause, menopausal symptoms and treatment options. 

Women's Health Concern The patient arm of the British Menopause Society (BMS), providing a confidential, independent service to advise, inform, and reassure women about their gynaecological, sexual, and post-reproductive health.

The Menopause Charity Works to improve women’s and healthcare professionals’ understanding of the menopause through evidence-based information, advice and support.

Mental health

Action on Postpartum Psychosis Supporting women who experience postpartum psychosis, by helping them to recover and come to terms with their experience.

Aware Defeat Depression Based in Northern Ireland, this support group welcomes those suffering from depression and their carers, too.

Mind A charity providing advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem. It can help you make choices about treatment, understand your rights or reach out to sources of support.

Rethink Mental Illness Offers an advice line providing information to people with mental health problems as well as those who care for them.

Samaritans Whatever you're going through - the Samaritans helpline will listen. It is there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – get in touch if something is troubling you.

Time to Change A social movement working to change the way we all think and act about mental health and improve attitudes and behaviour.

The Mix Provides judgement-free information and support to young people aged 13-25 on a range of issues including mental health problems.

Miscarriage, stillbirth and bereavement

A Child of Mine Professional bereavement services, offering support, assistance and advice to families after the death of a baby or child.

Aching Arms Aching Arms raises awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss and brings comfort to bereaved parents and their families.

Cruse Bereavement Care A national charity for bereaved people offering somewhere to turn when someone dies.

Marie Stopes Provides both NHS and self-funded abortion and vasectomy care via a network of local clinics throughout England.

Miscarriage Association If you have miscarried during any stage of your pregnancy, the Miscarriage Association can provide support.

SANDS Supporting anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth.

Tommys The largest UK charity funding research into the causes of miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth.

WAY Widowed & Young The only national charity in the UK offering support and advice to men and women aged 50 or under when their partner dies.

Winston's Wish The UK's childhood bereavement charity, which offers support to children and their families after the death of a parent or sibling.

P

Pregnancy

Action on Pre-eclampsia Works to raise public and professional awareness of pre-eclampsia and improve care for women and their babies.

Antenatal Results and Choices A charity which provides help to expectant and bereaved parents through antenatal screening tests and its consequences.

British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) An independent healthcare charity offering help and support for women and couples who decide to end a pregnancy.

Ectopic Pregnancy Trust Provides information, education and support if you've been affected by early pregnancy complications.

ICP Support Originally set up as OC Support, this organisation offers information and support for women with Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy, a liver disorder that occurs during pregnancy.

National Childbirth Trust The NCT offers a range of services; from antenatal classes to breastfeeding support and advice to support parents through the first 1000 days of parenthood.

NHS Choices A pregnancy and baby guide from the National Health Service.

PANDAS Offering information, support and advice to mothers with pre and postnatal illness.

Pregnancy Sickness Support A national support network for women suffering from any degree of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

R

Relationships

Resolution Offering advice and support for those facing divorce, separation, domestic abuse and other family difficulties.

Relate Providing support, counselling and advice on all sorts of relationship issues, including: marriage, LGBT issues, divorce and parenting.

S

Single parents

Dad's House A charity helping single dads with the practicalities of raising children on their own.

Gingerbread The largest support organisation for lone parent families, providing expert advice and practical support.

Single Parents Support A safe community for anyone who is parenting on their own.

Sleep

Cry-sis Support for families with excessively crying, sleepless and demanding babies. Callers are matched with a trained volunteer, who has personal experiences of the same issues.

The Children's Sleep Charity The award-winning charity supporting children with sleep issues. It provides support for families and accredited training for health professionals.

Surrogacy

Surrogacy UK The leading UK not-for-profit surrogacy organisation to help and support you through all the stages of your surrogacy journey.

If you're looking for more support near you, try Netmums Local.