Families in Care

People holding hands across a table in support

Your Voice Matters: Supporting Birth Families Through Child Protection and Care Proceedings.

We are a registered charity that provides independent advocacy, post adoption, and wellbeing support for birth families navigating child protection and care proceedings in Newcastle Upon Tyne

Who We Are

At Families in Care, we are committed to providing advocacy and support with care and kindness. We want to ensure that birth families, involved in child protection and care proceedings in Newcastle Upon Tyne, are heard and included in decisions about their children’s long-term care.

While we work in partnership with other services involved in child protection we retain our independence as a registered charity. Supporting birth families we work together to promote the best interests of children.

Awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

Recognising outstanding community impact

Independent Advocacy

Qualified staff provide one to one advocacy with support for birth parents and grandparents involved in child protection and care proceedings in Newcastle upon Tyne.

We attend child protection meetings and court hearings, helping mothers, fathers and grandparents understand what is happening at each step of the way. We can answer your questions, provide information and offer guidance.

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Post Adoption Support

We give birth parents and grandparents emotional and practical support during a distressing time. This can include help with life story work, final family time visits and the writing of cards & letters to children who no longer live with their birth family.

Experienced staff can meet with parents and grandparents in private comfortable surroundings to talk about the court's decision and what this means for their family.

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Wellbeing

Mothers, fathers and grandparents can find it helpful to share experiences, especially when they realise that they are not the only ones going through child protection and care proceedings.

We provide a safe and caring environment for parents and grandparents to meet others who are experiencing similar difficulties. The kettle is always on!!

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Trusted by Families and Professionals

"Families in Care has been an integral part of the family justice system in Newcastle upon Tyne for some thirty years (almost as long as I have). As a barrister specialising in family law, I was involved in countless cases in which a representative from Families in Care attended court with a parent and I witnessed at close quarter the positive impact they provided – providing support both outside and inside the court room by the presence, ability to understand the situation the parent was facing and having the time to explain the process and procedures in a way the parent understood and form a trusted perspective. In my position as judge, I see from a different perspective how invaluable this support is to individuals who often have little confidence or trust in the other ‘professionals’ involved with them.”

- Family Court Judge, Newcastle