Family Life

YoungMinds, the UK’s leading children and young people’s mental health charity, has published a guide sharing advice from parents to other parents on how to support themselves and the young people in their care during the coronavirus pandemic.

During this difficult time for parents and carers, particularly those looking after children and young people with mental health needs, YoungMinds has experienced an increase in traffic to the coronavirus advice on their website and many calls from parents to their Helpline about the impact of the pandemic on the young people in their care...

Families in Devon are being urged to check if their children are eligible for free school meals as the coronavirus crisis creates more hardship across the county.

Nationally applications for Universal Credit have gone up dramatically with initial estimates of an extra 10,000 claims in Devon in the last two weeks of March.

Now Devon County Council is appealing to hard-pressed families to make sure they do not miss out on free food for their children - even if they are not currently in school.

Schools will provide meals for vulnerable children and children of key...

An award-winning Exeter children’s author has become a virtual bedtime storyteller to help families cope with the coronavirus lockdown.

Dr Wendy O’Shea-Meddour has replaced her work in schools and libraries with story sessions filmed at her home for toddlers to nine-year-olds. Her books have already garnered recognition for helping adults support children through difficult experiences and have become even more relevant now.

The sessions, available online, will include readings from new books not yet published. Dr O’Shea-Meddour, who records with a camera balanced on a...

A WESTCOUNTRY legal practice says during these uncertain times the protection and care of children remains as important as ever (April, 2020).

As of March 24, it was confirmed by the Government that children can move between separated parents during the current coronavirus restrictions.

Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who is the co-founder of the legal service Children in the Middle, along with her fellow Exeter-based barrister Sarah Evans, said: “During these uncertain times, it’s important to maintain your child’s routine as much as possible and the Government...