Mother on phone with child next to her

Advice to families

Through the Government’s network of Children’s Centres, set up to support families with children under the age of five, we help families to get stable and decent accommodation.

Our Children’s Service Advice Line, which answers calls from Children’s Centre professionals, makes sure that homeless children and families get the essential housing advice they need.

The advice line answers calls from Children’s Centre professionals. Since its launch in September 2007, it has:

Our Children’s Service advice webpages have been specifically designed for Children’s Centre professionals. The pages provide relevant and up-to-date information and advice on housing rights, as well as good practice resources.

We also have started the delivery of outreach surgeries in Children’s Centres in the Tees Valley region and will be providing direct, practical help and advice to families with housing problems in high needs areas throughout England.

Find out how our expert advisers help families find a permanent home (pdf)

House

Case study

When their parents split up, Bianca, aged three, and five-year-old Jack, were left living with their mother in a house without electricity. The winter cold was affecting their health and to make matters worse, their father had terminated the tenancy – leaving them facing eviction.

The Shelter outreach worker at their local Children’s Centre persuaded the council to grant the family a new tenancy. This wasn’t easy because there were outstanding rent arrears, but Bianca and Jack’s mother agreed to pay them off. Shelter also secured financial help to reconnect the electricity and to pay for Jack’s school uniform.