Our Story
Families in Care is a unique, award-winning charity providing free, independent specialist advocacy, support, and education for birth families involved in child protection and care or adoption proceedings in Newcastle upon Tyne.
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Founded in the late 1980s in response to parents’ own identified needs, Families in Care continues to place parents at the heart of everything we do. Our approach is nurturing, non-judgemental, holistic, and built in partnership with birth parents, drawing on the lived experience of families alongside professional expertise.
Although we work in partnership with local services involved in child protection our independence allows us to focus solely on the best interests of the families we support.
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All support is delivered by experienced, qualified professionals, including registered social workers, counsellors, supervised social work & law students, as well as trained peer mentors and practice educators.
“The whole thing is so frightening and confusing. All these meetings, courts, reports. It’s frightening and overwhelming. I still feel sick when I think about the whole process. There are no words to describe, how important it is to have somebody there by your side, when your children are being taken away from you, and when everybody looks at you as if you are a horrible parent. A service like Families in Care should be available to every parent going through this nightmare.”
- Birth Parent, Newcastle
"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
Awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
Recognising outstanding community impact
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​“We are proud to have received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour given to volunteer groups in the UK. This award recognises the exceptional impact we make within our local community. Established in 2002 to mark the anniversary of The Queen’s coronation, it is considered the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer organisations."
We make a real difference
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More birth parents have access to professional, independent advice, information and advocacy services.
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Birth parents have a greater ability to be involved in the decision making process for their children.
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Birth parents are given the opportunity to develop positive support networks.
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Birth parents, social work & law students receive training and support to increase their working knowledge of birth parents’ perspective and experiences.