Family Lives is a national charity that works for, and with, parents. We know that parents want to do the best they can for their children, but sometimes family life can be challenging and difficult. There is after all, no one right way to parent.
In the UK there are over 24 million people who parent - it's not just mums and dads who do it. Families come in all shapes and sizes. Grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, other relatives, friends and foster carers are all involved in raising happy, healthy children.
Family Lives works to offer help and support through an innovative range of free, flexible, responsive services - shaped by parents for parents.
Parenting problems can arise any time of the day or night, and we are here, at the end of a telephone line to help. All our call takers have parenting experience, and offer confidential information and all-important emotional support. Calls are free. You don't have to be at your wits' end to call; in fact we positively encourage parents to contact us before they reach crisis point. In an evaluation carried out by Thomas Coram Research Unit, eight out of ten callers reported their situation had improved as a result of calling Patentline.
Family Lives also run a Live Chat service where you can talk to trained staff online on Monday-Thursday 9am-4.30pm and Friday 9am-12.30pm.