Contact a Family

Contact a Family

'' As a charity supporting families with disabled children we are delighted to welcome National Family Week. There are hundreds of thousands of families with disabled children living in Britain who face many and varied challenges. Their strength, determination and contribution to society should be valued and celebrated. National Family Week will give us the opportunity to do just that. ''
Srabani Sen, Chief Executive

Website: www.cafamily.org.uk

Contact a Family is the leading UK charity working with families of all disabled children regardless of the disability or medical condition.

Srabani Sen, Chief Executive of Contact a Family, said: "Across the UK, a child is diagnosed with a severe disability every 25 minutes. Although some children need hospital care, 98% of disabled children live at home with a parent or other family member who may not have expected to be in this position but who has quickly had to become an expert."

Contact a Family provides advice, information and support on all aspects of raising a disabled child. We also lobby and campaign for better rights for families with disabled children.

Contact a Family runs a national freephone helpline - 0808 808 3555 - and provides one to one practical and emotional support to families including guidance in form filling for essential benefits, grant applications and medical assessments. We also produce a medical directory with information on over 1,000 disabilities and rare conditions.

One mum said: "Contact a Family was the first to help and understand me, Before that we felt very much in the dark and alone so talking to Contact a Family was like a breath of fresh air."

Contact a Family brings families together across the UK at our family events and parent workshops, so that they can get support from others caring for a disabled child.

Srabani added: "Families with disabled children often tell us that they feel isolated because they don't know anyone else facing the same challenges and issues. They tell us that the best advice and support is from other parents who have gone through the same experience."

We link parents whose children have the same disability - either by putting them in touch with an already established support group or if there isn't one, we link individual parents willing to share experiences and offer support.

Families of disabled children are often under enormous practical, physical and emotional pressures. Many have to fight tooth and nail for services and often struggle to get affordable childcare and an education that meets their child's needs. It costs three times as much to raise a disabled child so many families experience financial difficulties.

Contact a Family also campaigns to improve the lives of families with disabled children. We believe families should have access to appropriate support services to meet their needs and should be able to fully participate in society. Not only do we help families to overcome their daily challenges, we also aim to empower them so they can reach their full potential.

Contact a Family fully supports National Family Week because we believe the strength, determination and contribution to society of families with disabled children should be recognised.