Most parents reading this have already tried. You are not early. You are not overreacting.
ViaCara is for adults, so we cannot take your child on. These services can. One of them is for you.
None of them are run by us. We list them because they help.
Someone to talk to about your child
Advice from child protection specialists, including about your own child. You do not have to give your name.
Email sent outside those hours is not received.
For any parent or main carer of someone aged 25 or under. That includes kinship carers, grandparents, foster carers and siblings who are the main carer.
Not a crisis service, and email takes three to five working days, or up to seven when the service is busy.
England 
Wales Any parenting worry at all, from a service that does not need you to have a diagnosis or a referral.
Scotland Scotland's equivalent, and where Coram Family Lives sends Scottish callers.
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland's own parent line, run by Children in Northern Ireland.
A one-to-one chat with a parenting coach from Action for Children, online or on WhatsApp.
Chat hours are on their site. A message left outside them gets a reply within three working days.
For a parent or carer of a child who has been sexually abused. Helpline, counselling and legal advice for the whole family.
For a parent worried about a child's eating. You do not need a diagnosis to call.
- England 0808 801 0677 Weekdays 3pm to 8pm
- Scotland 0808 801 0432 Weekdays 3pm to 8pm
- Wales 0808 801 0433 Weekdays 3pm to 8pm
- Northern Ireland 0808 801 0434 Weekdays 3pm to 8pm
Support when a child is grieving, or when a child has died. Winston's Wish is now part of this charity.
Getting NHS help for them
The service is children and young people's mental health services. Locally it is often called CAMHS.
A GP can refer. So can a teacher, a school nurse or a social worker.
Self-referral depends entirely on where you live. Some areas accept it. Many do not.
Ask your local service which it is, rather than assuming.
Your child's school often has support in place. Mental health support teams now work in almost 11,800 schools and colleges in England. Ask what is available.
Source: DfE: mental health support
What the wait looks like
In 2024-25, just over a million children in England had an active referral. Around a third were still waiting at the end of the year. More than 60,000 of them had waited over two years.
Scotland is currently meeting its own waiting-time standard. Elsewhere it varies by area, so ask your local service what to expect. The helplines here are open in the meantime.
Sources: Children's Commissioner: CYPMHS, Scottish Government: CAMHS waits
If your child will not talk to you
That is common. It is not a verdict on you.
A young person can contact Childline on 0800 1111 at any hour. It is free and confidential, and needs no involvement from you.
Short-term counselling they book themselves, with no GP letter and no involvement from you.
They have no phone helpline. Webchat sessions are paused, so counselling is by phone or video for now.
There is a page here written for them rather than for you. Send it to them if it helps.
If home is part of it
Sometimes the person who needs help and the person who is unsafe share a house. If that is your situation, these lines are open.
National Domestic Abuse Helpline
England 
Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline
Scotland 
Wales 
Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline
Northern Ireland 
Support for LGBT+ people experiencing abuse or violence, from an LGBT+ charity.
Closed 1pm to 2pm and at weekends. Closes at 3.30pm on the first Thursday of each month.
Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, a child is a victim in their own right. That applies where they see, hear or experience the effects of the abuse. They must also be related to the person being abused, or to the person causing it.
That is a legal fact. It exists so support can be asked for on their behalf.
Source: UK Parliament: Domestic Abuse Act s3
Something for you
A parent carrying a child's distress is carrying their own as well.
An Opinium poll for Anna Freud in July 2026 asked parents about this. Only 13% felt they had enough support.
You are allowed to need help with this.
England Wales Information on mental health support and where to find it, for you rather than for your child.
If help cannot wait, our UK crisis page lists people you or your child can contact at any hour.
Source: Anna Freud: parents poll
References
- Department for Education (2026). Record numbers of children with mental health support in schools. Link
- Children's Commissioner for England (2026). Children's and Young People's Mental Health Services: 2024-25. Link
- Scottish Government (2026). CAMHS waiting times standard sustained. Link
- UK Parliament (2021). Domestic Abuse Act 2021, section 3: Children as victims of domestic abuse. Link
- Anna Freud (2026). 1 in 10 parents say they have enough support for their child's mental health and wellbeing. Link
