Families and Young People

Financial Help for Children

Devon County Council do not offer school uniform grants. You may be able to get help from your child's school.

There are also a number of charities who may be able to assist - please see below for more details.

  • Cash for Kids provide grants for children who are vulnerable, from disadvantaged backgrounds or living with an illness or disability. They also provide Emergency grants to cover basic essentials during the cost of living crisis.
     
  • Quids4Kids project provides support for
    • Families of children (or young people up to the age of 21) with additional needs, a long-term illness or disability
    • Care leavers
    • Young homeless people
    • Foster parents
    • People looking after a child with a special guardianship order
       
  • The Devon Educational Trust offers awards to help with education, employment and wellbeing. Applications are invited from, or on behalf of, young people under the age of 25 years and who live in Devon. Awards normally range from £100 to £500.
     
  • The Somerset Community Fund provides grants for children up to 18 yrs old. Grants can cover things like:
    • Sporting events, a concert or an outdoor activity, such as horse riding
    • therapy sessions
    • Extra transport or carer costs
    • Financial support to cover costs to attend a special family or social gathering.
       
  • Grants from the Gibbons Family Trust are given to assist children and young people under the age of 25 that live in Devon.

Other Help and Support

  • Young Devon can help with support for Youth Homelessness, and supported accommodation
     
  • Children's Centres in Devon are run by Action for Children. They offer support available for families with children aged 0-8 who need extra support, through targeted Early Help Services via group and 1:1 family support. Courses are available including Incredible Years Parenting, Home Coaching Programme, Incredible Years for children on the autistic spectrum pathway or with language delay, Step by Step, Antenatal courses and Baby Massage.
     
  • CAMHS offers help for children presenting with additional mental health needs. They can be accessed through an appointment with your GP. You can call 03300 245 321 for more information.
     
  • Early Help is the extra support your family can get if you need it. It may be that you want to prevent a problem, or change things for your family before the problem becomes more serious. You can also call 0345 155 1071.
     
  • Teen Talk South West is a National Lottery funded chatline for teens aged 12-19. Call them on 01752 270024 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday
     
  • You'll qualify for the NHS Healthy Start Scheme if you're at least 10 weeks pregnant or you have at least one child that's under 4.
     
  • Take our Hand is a national charity supporting young people who are dealing with bereavement. They offer care packages, therapies and peer support for people aged 16 to 25.
     
  • Okehampton Neurodiverse Support Group is a friendly group that meets every second Thursday of the month at the Ockment Centre, Okehampton from 10 to 11.30 a.m. They offer peer to peer support, information sharing and signposting for carers of school aged children with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) or ADHD. Email info@communitylinks-sw.co.uk or call 07808 523111 for more information.
     
  • Devon Information Advice and Support provides information, advice, and support for special educational needs and disability (SEND). They give support around SEND issues at every stage of a child's education, including into further education and adulthood. They focus their support on children and young people up to age 25, and their parents or carers.