What counts as a family crisis?
A family crisis is any event or situation that threatens a family's stability, safety or wellbeing - particularly in ways that affect children. These crises can happen suddenly or build up over time, but all share one thing: they disrupt the security children need to thrive.
Common types of family crisis
Click on the red arrows next to each ideas below to find out more.
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Financial emergencies
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Financial emergencies happen when income suddenly drops or disappears. Over 2.6 million emergency food parcels were distributed in 2025 – with nearly half to families with children. Job loss, benefit delays, unexpected bills or the rising cost of living can all push families into crisis.
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Housing instability
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Housing instability affects thousands of families each year. Approximately 150,000 children in England are living in temporary accommodation - often in unsuitable conditions far from schools, friends and support networks.
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Health crises
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Health crises can strike without warning. When a parent or child faces serious illness, disability diagnosis or mental health breakdown, families must navigate medical systems while managing fear, practical changes and financial pressure. Children may become young carers, taking on responsibilities beyond their years.
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Relationship breakdown and domestic abuse
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Relationship breakdown and domestic abuse create particularly complex crises. Whether through separation, bereavement or abuse, these situations often combine emotional trauma with practical challenges like housing, finances and child arrangements. Organisations like Refuge report increased demand for support services helping families escape dangerous situations.
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Displacement and migration
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Displacement and migration can leave families without established support networks, facing language barriers, complex immigration systems and uncertainty about the future. Children may struggle with interrupted education and the trauma of leaving everything familiar behind.
Impact on children and parents
Children experiencing family crisis often show changes in behavior, school performance or emotional wellbeing. They may become withdrawn or anxious, struggle to concentrate, or act out as they process stress they don't fully understand. Young people might take on adult worries, feeling responsible for fixing problems beyond their control.
Parents, meanwhile, face the challenge of holding their family together while managing their own stress, fear and exhaustion. The pressure to protect children from worry while solving urgent practical problems can feel overwhelming - especially when systems meant to help are complicated or slow to respond.
But families are remarkably resilient. With the right support at the right time, children and parents can navigate crisis and emerge stronger. The key is offering help that recognises their strength while providing genuine practical assistance.
You, Me & Us members Dawn, Jane, Beth, Amy T & Amy W, outside the food pantry they've helped support in Sheffield Matt Grayson / Save the Children
What help is available right now?
If you're supporting a family in crisis - or facing one yourself - knowing where to turn can make all the difference. The UK has numerous support systems, though navigating them isn't always straightforward. Here's what's available and how to access it.
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Emergency financial support
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Universal Credit is the main benefit for people on low income or out of work. Families can apply through GOV.UK and may receive advance payments if they're in urgent need, though standard payments typically begin 5 weeks after application.
Turn2Us runs a comprehensive grants search tool that matches families with charitable funds they may be eligible for - covering everything from white goods to school uniforms to emergency living costs. Their benefits calculator also helps ensure families claim everything they're entitled to.
Local authority discretionary payments can provide emergency help with housing costs, essential items or crisis support. Contact your local council's welfare team to ask about Discretionary Housing Payments or Local Welfare Assistance schemes.
The Baby Bank Alliance receives donations of essential items for babies and children and pass them on for free, from one family to another. They are a lifeline for families who need help: providing parents with support, and children with the items they need to thrive. You can find your local baby bank here.
Save the Children's UK programs include emergency grants for families facing acute hardship. Through partnerships with local organisations, such as the Baby Bank Alliance, we provide direct financial assistance alongside practical support - because sometimes the difference between crisis and stability is simply having enough money to cover essentials this week.
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Food and essential supplies
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Trussell Trust food banks operate across the UK, providing emergency food parcels to families in crisis. Use their food bank finder to locate your nearest center. You'll typically need a referral from a professional like a social worker, GP or school, though some food banks also accept self-referrals.
Community fridges and food-sharing schemes offer another route to support. Hubbub's community fridge network provides access to fresh food without referrals or means testing - simply turn up and take what you need.
School-based support includes free school meals for eligible children, and many schools run breakfast clubs or holiday hunger programs. Contact your child's school directly to ask what support is available, including uniform grants or help with trip costs.
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Housing and homelessness help
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Shelter's emergency helpline (0808 800 4444) provides free housing advice every day. Their website also offers detailed guidance on tenants' rights, homelessness prevention and navigating local authority housing duties.
Local authority housing support means councils have legal duties to help if you're homeless or about to become homeless. Contact your council's housing department immediately if you're facing eviction or have nowhere safe to stay - they must assess your situation and may provide temporary accommodation, especially for families with children.
Domestic abuse services like Refuge and Women's Aid can arrange emergency safe accommodation for families fleeing abuse, along with advocacy, counseling and practical support.
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Mental health and wellbeing support
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NHS urgent mental health support is available through NHS 111 (select option 2), local crisis teams or A&E if someone is in immediate danger. Many areas also have crisis cafes or sanctuaries offering same-day support without appointment.
Family counseling and therapy can be accessed through GP referrals to NHS services, though waiting times vary. Organisations like Young Minds provide resources specifically for children and young people's mental health.
Parenting support services like Home-Start match trained volunteers with families who need practical and emotional support at home. Their judgment-free approach recognises that all parents struggle sometimes - and that asking for help is a sign of strength, not failure.
How to support a family in crisis
Supporting families effectively means moving beyond one-off gestures toward genuine partnership. The most valuable help recognises what families are already doing to cope, then asks: "What would actually make your life easier right now?"
Start by listening, not solving
When someone shares they're struggling, the instinct to jump in with advice or solutions is strong. But what families in crisis often need first is simply to be heard without judgment.
Try asking open questions: "What's the hardest part right now?" or "What would help most this week?" Listen to understand their priorities, which might be different from what you'd assume. A parent worried about their child missing school might need help with bus fare more than food donations. Another might desperately need someone to watch the children for an hour so they can attend a benefits appointment.
Real support means respecting that families know their own lives best. Your role isn't to rescue or take over - it's to stand alongside and help them access the resources and breathing room they need.
Offer practical help that fits around their life
The most useful support is specific, regular and reliable. Vague offers like "let me know if you need anything" are kind but rarely taken up - people in crisis don't have energy to organize help.
Instead, suggest concrete actions: "I'm going to the supermarket Thursday - can I pick anything up for you?" or "I could look after the children next Saturday afternoon if that would give you time to sort paperwork." Then follow through consistently.
Small regular help often matters more than grand gestures. Picking up a child from school once a week, sharing a meal, helping with laundry or admin - these things create stability and remind families they're not alone.
Connect families to the right services
You don't need to be an expert in every system, but knowing where to signpost people can be invaluable. Keep a note of key contacts:
- Citizens Advice (0800 144 8848) for benefits, debt, housing and employment advice
- Turn2Us for grants and benefits calculations
- Local family support services through your council or children's centers
- Samaritans (116 123) for emotional support any time
When helping someone access services, offer to sit with them while they make calls, help them gather documents, or accompany them to appointments if they'd find that useful. Navigating bureaucracy while stressed and exhausted is genuinely difficult - practical assistance with forms and phone calls can be transformative.
Maintain boundaries while staying present
Supporting others through crisis requires balancing compassion with self-care. You can't help anyone if you're burnt out.
Be honest about what you can realistically offer and stick to those boundaries. It's better to commit to one afternoon a week and maintain it than to over-promise and disappear when it gets hard.
If you're supporting a family long-term, connect with other friends, neighbors or family members who can also help. Shared support prevents any one person carrying everything and creates a network families can rely on.
And remember, you're not responsible for fixing everything. Sometimes the most powerful support is simply showing up, staying present, and reminding families they matter - especially when systems fail or progress feels painfully slow.
When to get professional help
Some situations need more than informal support. Recognising when to involve professionals protects both families and children.
Contact children's social care if you're seriously concerned about a child's safety or welfare. You can call your local authority children's services or the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000). Asking for help isn't about getting families in trouble - early intervention can prevent situations worsening and connect families with vital support.
For domestic abuse, encourage families to contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline (0808 2000 247, run by Refuge) which offers confidential support and can arrange safe accommodation. Don't pressure anyone to leave - they know their situation best - but make sure they know help is available when they're ready.
Mental health crises require urgent response if someone is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others. Call 999 or go to A&E if necessary. For non-emergency mental health support, NHS 111 (option 2) connects people with local crisis teams.
Legal and housing issues often need specialist advice. Shelter's helpline and Citizens Advice can provide guidance on rights and options, while some situations may require solicitor support - legal aid is available for certain family and housing cases.
Professionals aren't the enemy. Most people working in social care, healthcare and housing genuinely want to help families. When informal support isn't enough, connecting families with expert services can open doors that weren't previously accessible.
Building hope: Small actions, lasting change
Crisis doesn't define families - and recovery isn't linear. The path from hardship to stability often involves setbacks, bureaucratic frustration and exhaustion. Staying present through that journey matters enormously.
Check in regularly, even when the immediate emergency has passed. A text asking "How are you doing this week?" or a quick coffee maintains connection and reminds families they haven't been forgotten. Many people find the period after crisis - when everyone else has moved on- the loneliest.
Celebrate small victories together. Benefit claim approved? New job started? Child settled into school? These milestones deserve recognition. Acknowledging progress builds hope and resilience.
Advocate alongside families when systems fail or processes feel impersonal. Attending appointments, writing supporting letters or amplifying families' voices when they're not being heard can shift outcomes. Combined voices carry more weight than individual ones.
Join or support community organisations working on systemic change. Food banks, housing charities and family support services need volunteers, donations and campaigners. Save the Children's UK work includes supporting families facing poverty and crisis while advocating for policy changes that tackle root causes - because no family should have to rely on emergency support indefinitely.
Moving forward together
Supporting families in crisis isn't about being a hero or having all the answers. It's about showing up, listening, offering practical help, and staying present through the hard bits.
Every family's situation is unique. What helps one might not help another. The common thread is treating people with dignity, recognising their expertise about their own lives, and working in partnership rather than imposing solutions.
Whether you're supporting one family or want to create broader change, your actions matter. Children notice when adults step up to help. Parents remember who stood by them when times were hardest. Communities grow stronger when people support each other through crisis.
The families you help today might be the ones who help others tomorrow. That's how communities build resilience - not through individual acts of charity, but through shared commitment to ensuring every child has what they need to thrive, no matter what challenges their family faces.
Save the Children supported over 375,000 children and families across the UK in 2024 through emergency grants, family support programs and advocacy. This work is possible because of people who refuse to accept that childhood poverty and family crisis are inevitable.
This content was last reviewed and updated in May 2026.
