Help for young people

If your parents are splitting up, please remember you are not alone. There are loads of people out there who can help and many sources of advice and info for teenagers. You can get counselling by email from the NSPCC, or you can call helplines for free, or browse websites. Below are some contact numbers and website addresses where you can get info, help and advice.

Click here for a list of Action for Children family mediation and support services. Contact your nearest centre for help.

Helplines and websites

Childline
Call Childline's free 24 hour helpline on 0800 1111. Lines are busy so please keep trying and you will get through. Childline’s website at www.childline.org.uk includes advice on living in a stepfamily.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support (Cafcass)
If your parents are going to court because they can’t agree on who will look after you, visit the section for teenagers on www.cafcass.gov.uk. Cafcass looks after the interests of children and young people in family courts.

Divorce aid
Site all about divorce includes a section for teenagers at www.divorceaid.co.uk/child/teenagers.htm

It discusses your emotions and has details of helplines, online advice, useful sites and books.

National Youth Advocacy Service
Advice and info for young people, including free legal advice, on 0800 61 61 01 or www.nyas.net or email help@nyas.net

NSPCC
Call the NSPCC’s free 24 hour helpline on 0800 800 500. You can email help@nspcc.org.uk for advice and they will reply within 24 hours.

www.there4me.com is an NSPCC site for teenagers offering advice by email and confidential interactive online counselling.

Visit www.worriedneed2talk.org.uk, the NSPCC’s site for young people that includes lots of info about all sorts of problems, including family break-ups.

Booklet

At www.lcd.gov.uk/family/divleaf.htm you can print off a useful leaflet called My family’s splitting up.

Remember, it’s not your fault.