Being a parent is not always easy, and if you’re on your own it can seem even more difficult. You may feel scared about the responsibility and whether you’re doing the best you can for your baby. You may feel you want support to help you cope. There are lots of places you can get help and advice.
If you want to know more about having a baby, bringing up children, childcare, play, education, work or support, try:
- BBC Parenting
- Gingerbread has information on benefit entitlements for teenage parents. Contact their single parent helpline 0808 802 0925.
- Lone Parents helpline 0808 802 0925.
- Parentline Plus offers support to anyone parenting a child – contact them on 0808 800 2222.
- Youngdads gives young dads information on everything they wanted to know about pregnancy, birth and beyond - but were afraid to ask!
- Only dads is a website for single dads.
- Dad talk has information on a variety of issues useful for dads to know about.
- Dads House has information for dads bringing up children on their own.
- If you are under 20 and have a child and want to return to or start learning Care to Learn may be able to help with your childcare and other extra costs.
Did you know that you can get free milk, fruit and vegetables when you are pregnant? Visit Healthy Start to find out if you qualify. DirectGov has information and videos about parenting.
Local Help:
- AdviceKit Manchester.
- Teenage Pregnancy Specialist Personal Advisers:
North Manchester - Helen - 0161 205 1644
Central and East Manchester - Catherine - 0161 248 7684
South Manchester - Ruth - 0161 437 4288.
Helplines:
- 0161 203 7906 if you live in North Manchester or
- 0161 234 1570 for the rest of the city.
Drop ins at Connexions Centres:
- Harpurhey - Friday 1.00pm- 4.30pm offering advice and support around benefit issues for teenage parents.
Wednesdays 10.00am - 1.00pm offering help with childcare, college, sexual health, - Longsight - Wednesdays 1.00pm - 4.00pm Benefits Adviser.
- Wythenshawe - Wednesdays 10.00am - 1.00pm
You can use the library in your Connexions Centre too as it has information for you to read or take away. You could also go to Relationships Weblinx for more useful websites.