Helpful organisations
We know that it can feel overwhelming navigating kinship care. As well as services and support from Kinship, there are lots of other organisations who can support you with specialist information and advice. We’ve gathered information about organisations that might be helpful. They are arranged by different topic areas in alphabetical order. Where a phone number is listed, it is a helpline.
This advice applies to: England and Wales
Adoption
Below you will find information about organisations who can support you if you're considering adoption. Read our adoption guide to find out more.
Email: info@adoptionuk.org
Telephone: 0300 666 0006
Support, community and advocacy for adopted people and those parenting children who cannot live with their parents.
Email: nationalwork@adoptionengland.co.uk
Working with funding from the Department of Education, they work in collaboration with regional adoption agencies to improve adoption practice and develop support and services.
Benefits and financial support
A number of organisations offer calculators to help you work out your benefits.
GOV.UK Benefits calculators webpage
Anonymous, free and independent benefits calculators collated by GOV.UK.
A charity dedicated to helping children and young people in the UK who have experienced crisis. They offer a range of ‘Chances for Children’ grants.
Telephone: 0800 144 8848
Confidential, impartial and independent advice online, over the phone and in person, for free.
A benefits calculator that enables you check what means-tested benefits you’re entitled to.
Practical, emotional and financial support to those who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation.
Information and practical support for people struggling with their finances. Website includes a benefits calculator, and grants search.
Bereavement
Organisations supporting bereaved children and families.
Telephone: 0808 802 0111
A charity supporting bereaved children and young people through counselling, workshops, therapy and a free, confidential helpline called grief talk.
Telephone: 08088 020 021
A childhood bereavement charity supporting children and their families after the death of someone important. They offer a free bereavement support helpline.
Contact
Information and advice for people needing support with contact arrangements.
Family Mediation Council website
Advice and information on family mediation and a search tool for finding a local mediator.
National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) website
Charity providing safe spaces where children can meet the parents they don’t live with.
Search their website for your nearest local contact centre.
Telephone: 0300 100 1234
Counselling, support and information to help with couple and family relationships.
Debt
Suppport services for people struggling with debt.
Debt Advice Foundation website
Telephone: 0800 043 40 50
Free confidential support and advice to anyone worried about loans, credit and debt.
Telephone: 0800 138 1111
Expert debt help and advice and fee-free debt management.
Digital safety
Organisations with advice and information about children's safety online.
Information and guidance on a range of key online safety topics.
Information on internet safety, including safety settings for your child’s devices and apps.
Resources for phone safety, online safety, online toxicity, online bullying.
Resources on internet safety for parents and carers.
Domestic abuse
Helplines and information for people suffering from domestic abuse.
Telephone: 0808 800 5000
Call 999 if you think someone is in immediate danger
A helpline to report abuse if you’re worried about a child or young person.
Telephone: 0808 2000 247
UK’s largest domestic abuse organisation which provides information, a helpline and range of services for women and children.
Legal advice and information with a focus on violence against women and girls.
Surviving Economic Abuse website
A UK charity that provides help, information and support to people who are suffering economic abuse. Economic abuse is when someone exerts control over income, spending, bank accounts, bills or borrowing.
Fostering
Advice and information for kinship foster carers.
General information about fostering, and publications for foster carers and professionals.
Benefits for members of the network include advice and legal insurance for foster carers.
Telephone: 0800 040 7675
Advice and information for anyone in England who is interested in fostering or is already a foster carer.
Housing
Advice and support for people struggling with housing issues.
Telephone: 0800 144 8848
Confidential, impartial and independent advice online, over the phone and in person, for free.
Emergency telephone: 0808 800 4444
Personalised local support, online resources, emergency helpline assistance, and free legal aid for individuals facing housing issues or homelessness.
Kinship care
Organisations that support kinship carers with a wide range of issues.
You can contact them by emailing: advice@corambaaf.org.uk
Membership organisation supporting people with an interest in fostering, adoption and kinship care. Also has a wide range of publications for carers, children and professionals.
Email: info@familiesinharmony.co.uk
Charity leading the campaign for racial justice in the children’s social care sector, within kinship care.
Telephone: 0808 801 0366
Free, confidential advice to families dealing with children’s services. They offer online advice, forums, a free telephone advice line and web chat service.
Legal advice
Organisations that can provide kinship carers with legal advice and information.
Sourcing free legal assistance through volunteer barristers.
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. A non-departmental government body who advise family courts on the best interests of the children.
Telephone: 0300 330 548
Helpline for legal advice, specialist advice and information on child, family and education law, as well as online resources.
Telephone: 0808 801 0366
Free, confidential advice to families dealing with children’s services.
Grandparents Legal Centre website
Telephone: 0843 289 7130
Specialist legal advice for grandparents over the phone.
A network of law clinics that offer face-to-face legal advice in various areas of law. Some also have a telephone advice line.
Search for a solicitor accredited by the law society using an online search tool. Some solicitors offer a free initial consultation.
A nationwide network providing free legal advice locally.
NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) website
Telephone: 0808 808 1001
Legal advice and representation for children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Telephone: 03000 810 006
Support for people representing themselves in court.
Mental health support for kinship carers
Organisations that can support with mental health and identifying mental health concerns in children and young people.
Mental health information, advice and local services.
Short films that help parents, carers and professionals to identify potential mental health conditions.
Parent and carer resources to support children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Telephone: 116 123
A listening service if you’re struggling with your mental health.
Telephone: 0800 1000 900
Charity working to prevent child sexual abuse with information for people who have been sexually abused in the past.
Telephone: 0808 802 5544
Support and help for parents and carers if young people are struggling with their mental health.
Mental health support for children and young people
Mental health support services focused on children and young people.
Children Heard and Seen website
Email: info@childrenheardandseen.co.uk
Charity working to support children, young people and their families who are impacted by parental imprisonment.
The Children’s Society website
Specialist support for children and young people on a range of topics, including emotional health and wellbeing.
Telephone: 0808 808 2008
Provides faith and culturally sensitive support for young Muslims.
NHS Children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) website
An NHS service delivered through local teams to assess and treat mental health conditions. Children and young people in kinship care can be referred by people such as their carer, a GP, teacher or social worker.
Support and help for young people who are struggling with their mental health.
Parenting
Organisations that can provide support with general parenting issues.
Telephone: 0808 800 2222
Help and support in all aspects of family life. As well as the helpline, it runs local services and courses on parenting issues.
National Association of Therapeutic Parenting (NATP) website
Support and guidance for parents and carers on therapeutic parenting.
Parent Talk by Action for Children website
Online advice on a range of parenting topics such as feelings and behaviour, family life, school life. You can also chat online 1:1 with a parenting coach at specific times of the week.
Rights
Local Government Ombudsman website
Telephone: 0300 061 0614
A free service and its role is to investigate complaints in a fair and independent way.
School
Organisations that support with children and young people's education.
A charity that aims to help children read by supporting families to start sharing stories and books together.
Provides tips and advice, book recommendations and services at libraries and schools.
National Association of Virtual School Heads (NAVSH) website
An umbrella body for virtual school heads that aims to improve educational outcomes for looked-after children.
National Numeracy Trust website
Provides advice, ideas and materials to help children to feel good about numbers.
Royal National Springboard Foundation website
A charity that believes all children should be able to access a great education. They work with partners to identify children for whom a boarding or independent day school might provide the environment they most need.
Words for Life by the National Literacy Trust website
Activities and support to improve children’s language, literacy and communication skills from home.
School - SEND
Organisations that support with special educational needs and disabilities.
National Network of Parent Carer Forums website
The independent national network of parent carer forums for children with special educational needs.
Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA) website
Leading charity in SEND law in the UK. Provides information on navigating the system and securing the support your child needs.
Find your local SENDIAS from Council for Disabled Children’s website
Free and impartial information, advice and support for the families of children and young people with disabilities or special educational needs.
Telephone: 0808 808 3555
Email: helpline@contact.org.uk
Advice, information and helpline for families with disabled children.
School - speech and language
Resources to support with children's speech and language development.
Speech and Language UK website
Support for children’s speech and language development.
Work
Organisations that provide information and advice on rights at work.
Telephone: 0300 012 0312
Email: advice@workingfamilies.org.uk
Advice for parents and carers on their rights at work.
Join our community
Sign up for emails to keep up to date with the information that’s important to you, from support and advice for kinship carers, to our latest news, events and campaigns.