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For every £1 we spend, 84p helps children and families
Every parent deserves support. Every child deserves stability
When temperatures drop, stress rises for many families. Winter brings financial pressure, rising bills, shorter days and colder nights, all of which can make parenting feel overwhelming, isolating or impossible to manage alone.
That where Parent Talk steps in. With access to advice articles and our free, confidential service where parents can speak to trained family support workers about anything they’re struggling with. From behaviour and emotional wellbeing to routines, finances, sleep, school worries and more.
"I have a toddler and feel like I’m on a ride I can’t get off. I feel like I can’t get back to normal after the pandemic, I’m still anxious about going out and feel so isolated and depressed."
Parent supported by Parent Talk
In 25/26, we reached 544,297 children, young people and families through our support services, including Parent Talk.
Anyone can read our articles or talk to a parenting coach one-to-one for free. This service can only exist thanks to your generous donations. Your support ensures parents are supported and no child must feel the impact of a household stretched beyond breaking point.
“Parent Talk has been a godsend - we’re in a totally different place than we were a year ago. I wouldn’t have been able to get this level of support and tailored advice just from speaking to other parents or friends and family. It doesn’t take a lot to completely change someone’s life – you just need the right advice for you and your child.”
Feedback from a parent
We support parents and carers with:
Children’s mental health.
Their own mental health.
Special educational needs and disabilities.
Co-parenting after separation.
Abusive or coercive relationships.
Meeting emotional needs.
Managing behaviour.
Your support can help us continue our work.
Every day through Parent Talk we hear heart-breaking stories of children struggling. Parents are desperately trying to help support their children but are often feeling utterly overwhelmed with nowhere to turn. Desperate to do the right thing, but not knowing what that is.
Lynn Giles, Parent Talk Manager at Action for Children
We protect and support children and young people. We do this by providing practical and emotional care and support. We make sure their voices are heard. And we campaign to bring lasting improvements to their lives.
Today, we run 303 services in local communities across the UK, in schools and online.
In our nurseries and children's centres, staff make sure children get the best start in life. Our foster, adoptive and modern residential services find children and young people safe and loving homes.
We step in to protect children from neglect and abuse and help those who care for others or are at risk of homelessness. Innovative projects like The Blues Programme give young people the help they need to look after their mental health.
We're here for parents through projects like Parent Talk, our online support service.
We’ve been helping children for more than 150 years. In 2025/26 we helped 544,297 children, young people and families. This was only possible with your support.
Since 1869 we’ve helped more than two million children and young people.
13,071: the number of people reached with disabilities in 2025/26.
525,120: the number of people reached by our family support services in 2025/26.
Your donations help us to support vulnerable children, young people and their families in the UK.
84p of every £1* we spend goes directly towards helping children, young people and their families. Your support is so important right now because levels of poverty, abuse and neglect have been rising. We’ve seen a huge surge in demand for our services. Your donations help us to run these essential services, which give vulnerable children and families a vital lifeline.
We make sure that every penny you donate goes where it will have the greatest impact on children’s lives.
Most of the donations we receive from our campaigns are unrestricted. This means they’re not spent on one project or one specific area of the UK, but where the need is greatest. We wouldn’t be able to operate as a charity without this type of income. Unrestricted funds help us reach the children and young people who need us most. Funds raised from this appeal will be unrestricted and used by Action for Children for its general charitable purposes. Please see the Our Work and Impact for examples of the work we do to help children and young people and their families.
