What is Contact A Family?

Families caring for children and young people with disabilities or additional needs - no matter what their condition or disability.

What does the service provide?

Information about local services, advice and support for families with disabled children, alongside promotion of links between parents, support groups and parent carer forums.

Our London team of trained advisers includes education specialists and a dedicated welfare rights team. They offer:

• Free information workshops for groups of parent carers including coping and support, behaviour that challenges us, helping your child to sleep, transition from adult to child services and information about benefits.
• Local information on local services, sources of further and specialist advice and support
• Information guides on everyday living such as financial help and benefits, accessing help and support, play and leisure activities for families and education, health and social care services.
• Ways to meet other local parents through support groups, meetings, workshops and events.
• Free information sessions for professionals working with families with disabled children.
• Resources for professionals, to help them point families to local services.
• A helpline that offers advice, information and ways to access local support.

How do I access the service?

The services are free and open to any parent/carer or family member. We also support practitioners working with families.

We are open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm.

Our central website offers up-to-date information on hundreds of medical conditions, extensive information on benefits and services as well as a wider range of support, information and advice for families. You can link with families going through similar experiences and download our resources. Visit www.cafamily.co.uk, you can also follow us on facebook.com/contactafamily and twitter.com/contactafamily.

For information or advice on any aspect of caring for a disabled child contact our national freephone helpline on 0808 808 3555 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Our services are confidential, independent and impartial. Contact A Family is committed to safeguarding children and young people and will work cooperatively with other agencies to ensure that any risk to children and young people we have contact with is acknowledged and responded to professionally and without delay.