Access to early help
Struggling to connect with your teen. Lying awake wondering who they're talking to online. Worried they're being bullied at school. Unsure you're doing the right thing.
We provide support to parents with children from 0-19 years of age (25 if they have additional needs) through our Parent Talk service.
Parent Talk also plays a role in local family support. Through council partnerships, the service can provide tailored signposting and coaching support as part of local family help and Family Hub offers.
Families with older children can fall between two stools: their children may be too old for early-years-focused family support, but too young for youth services provision which more typically works directly with the young person.
Our Parent Talk report uncovers the challenges parents of 10-15 year olds are facing, and the steps needed to make sure they have the support they need, when they need it most.
We are building a movement of people who think parents deserve more support, so families can get help before they reach crisis point.
Parenting doesn't stop when children become teenagers. Government support shouldn't stop either. Add your name if you agree.
‘Early help’ describes any service that supports children and families as soon as problems emerge. All early help is voluntary – families don’t have to participate if they don’t want to.
Examples of early help services include:
- Parenting support.
- Play and activity groups.
- Emotional health and wellbeing support.
- Communication and language support.
These services are vital in giving children the best start in life.
Discover how family clubs can transform mental health
Early help can prevent harm and keep children safe. When families face problems, getting the right support, at the right time, is essential. It can be what stops a minor problem from becoming a crisis.
Unfortunately, we’re not providing enough early help in the UK. Instead, the current system is focused on helping children only once they are in crisis. Stepping in as soon as problems arise, however, helps provide safe and happy childhoods. It helps keep families together.
Early help services are also a sensible use of stretched budgets. The social services needed when families are in crisis are expensive. Money is being wasted simply because we are reaching children too late.
If we didn’t have access to early help services, we would probably have had to split as a family. We were on the verge of that; we were at rock bottom. If it wasn’t for those services, who knows where we would be now. They really picked us up and helped us, and they still are.
Barry, whose family received support from Action for Children’s early help services
For free parenting advice whenever you need it
