![Two chairs side by side on a porch at first light, one with a scarf over its back](https://viacara.com/img/content/under-18s-parents-feature-light.webp) # Worried About Your Child Where a parent or carer can get help for a child's mental health in the UK, what the NHS route looks like, and where to turn if home is not safe. 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 [NSPCC Helpline](https://www.nspcc.org.uk) Any worried adult 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. Phone weekdays 10am to 4pm Email 11am to 4pm daily [Call](tel:+448088005000) [Email](mailto:help@nspcc.org.uk) [YoungMinds Parents Helpline](https://www.youngminds.org.uk) Parents and carers 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. Mon, Thu, Fri 9.30am to 4pm Tue, Wed 9.30am to 6pm [Call](tel:+448088025544) [Email](mailto:parents@youngminds.org.uk) [Coram Family Lives](https://www.coramfamilylives.org.uk) Parents and family England Wales Any parenting worry at all, from a service that does not need you to have a diagnosis or a referral. Weekdays 9am to 9pm Weekends 10am to 3pm [Call](tel:+448088002222) [Children First Supportline](https://www.childrenfirst.org.uk) Parents and family Scotland Scotland's equivalent, and where Coram Family Lives sends Scottish callers. Weekdays 9am to 9pm Weekends 9am to noon [Call](tel:+448000282233) [Parentline NI](https://www.ci-ni.org.uk) Parents and carers Northern Ireland Northern Ireland's own parent line, run by Children in Northern Ireland. Mon to Thu 9am to 9pm Fri 9am to 5pm Sat 9am to 1pm [Call](tel:+448088020400) [Email](mailto:parentline@ci-ni.org.uk) [Parent Talk](https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk) Parents and carers 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. [Start a chat](https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/chat/) [We Stand](https://www.westand.org.uk) Non-abusing parents and carers For a parent or carer of a child who has been sexually abused. Helpline, counselling and legal advice for the whole family. Mon to Thu 10am to 2pm [Call](tel:+448009801958) [Email](mailto:helpline@westand.org.uk) [Beat](https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk) Parents and carers For a parent worried about a child's eating. You do not need a diagnosis to call. - England [0808 801 0677](tel:+448088010677) Weekdays 3pm to 8pm - Scotland [0808 801 0432](tel:+448088010432) Weekdays 3pm to 8pm - Wales [0808 801 0433](tel:+448088010433) Weekdays 3pm to 8pm - Northern Ireland [0808 801 0434](tel:+448088010434) Weekdays 3pm to 8pm [Child Bereavement UK](https://www.childbereavementuk.org) Parents and family Support when a child is grieving, or when a child has died. Winston's Wish is now part of this charity. Weekdays 8am to 8pm closed on bank holidays [Call](tel:+448000288840) [Email](mailto:ask@childbereavementuk.org) ## 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. ![Two mugs of tea on a porch table beside a folded child's drawing](https://viacara.com/img/content/under-18s-parents-mid-light.webp) Company without pressure to talk. 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](https://viacara.com/support/under-18s/help-for-your-child/#ref-1) ## 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](https://viacara.com/support/under-18s/help-for-your-child/#ref-2), [Scottish Government: CAMHS waits](https://viacara.com/support/under-18s/help-for-your-child/#ref-3) ## 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](tel:+448001111) at any hour. It is free and confidential, and needs no involvement from you. [The Mix](https://www.themix.org.uk) Ages 13 to 25 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. Text line 24/7 [Text](sms:85258?body=THEMIX) [Book counselling](https://www.themix.org.uk/counselling/) There is a [page here written for them](https://viacara.com/support/under-18s/if-you-are-under-18/) 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](https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk) Women England Open 24/7 [Call](tel:+448082000247) [Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline](https://www.sdafmh.org.uk) All genders Scotland Open 24/7 [Call](tel:+448000271234) [Live Fear Free](https://www.gov.wales/live-fear-free) All genders Wales Open 24/7 [Call](tel:+448088010800) [Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline](https://dsahelpline.org) 18 and over Northern Ireland Open 24/7 [Call](tel:+448088021414) [Men's Advice Line](https://mensadviceline.org.uk) Men Advice and support for men experiencing domestic abuse. Weekdays 10am to 5pm [Call](tel:+448088010327) [Galop](https://galop.org.uk) LGBT+ adults 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. Mon and Tue 9.15am to 8pm Wed to Fri 9.15am to 4.30pm [Call](tel:+448009995428) 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](https://viacara.com/support/under-18s/help-for-your-child/#ref-4) ## 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. [Mind Infoline](https://www.mind.org.uk) Adults England Wales Information on mental health support and where to find it, for you rather than for your child. Standard call rates Weekdays 9am to 6pm closed on bank holidays [Call](tel:+443001233393) If help cannot wait, our [UK crisis page](https://viacara.com/crisis/gb/) lists people you or your child can contact at any hour. Source: [Anna Freud: parents poll](https://viacara.com/support/under-18s/help-for-your-child/#ref-5) ## References 1. Department for Education (2026). *Record numbers of children with mental health support in schools*. [Link](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-numbers-of-children-with-mental-health-support-in-schools) 2. Children's Commissioner for England (2026). *Children's and Young People's Mental Health Services: 2024-25*. [Link](https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/resource/childrens-and-young-peoples-mental-health-services-2024-25/) 3. Scottish Government (2026). *CAMHS waiting times standard sustained*. [Link](https://www.gov.scot/news/camhs-waiting-times-standard-sustained/) 4. UK Parliament (2021). *Domestic Abuse Act 2021, section 3: Children as victims of domestic abuse*. [Link](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/17/section/3) 5. Anna Freud (2026). *1 in 10 parents say they have enough support for their child's mental health and wellbeing*. [Link](https://www.annafreud.org/news/1-in-10-parents-say-they-have-enough-support-for-their-childs-mental-health-and-wellbeing) ## Related ### [If You Are Under 18](https://viacara.com/support/under-18s/if-you-are-under-18/) You do not have to be in crisis to ask for help. These UK services are built for people your age, with their real numbers and opening hours. ### [Understanding Anxiety](https://viacara.com/support/anxiety/) Learn about anxiety, its symptoms and how therapy can help. Find the right practitioner for anxiety support. ### [Family Relationships](https://viacara.com/support/family/) Strain with parents, siblings, children or step-family is common and can be worked on. Find a professional who helps with family relationships.