Supporting families
Coram provides parents with the support and advice they need at all stages of parenthood.
Helping parents do their best for their children
If parents are struggling to cope, Coram offers early help so they can become empowered to provde a loving and secure environment for their child, or, if that is not possible, ensure that a timely decision about the child's future is made for the benefit of the chid.
Support gateway
Coram's Support Gateway provides adoptive families and people with a special guardianship order (SGOs) with fast and easy access to a range of therapeutic assessments and interventions.These include art and music therapy, mentalisation-based therapy, and other child and family psychological interventions.
Community parenting in Thurrock
Coram Brighter Futures Parenting Service is currently commissioned by Thurrock Council to deliver a range of accredited parenting programmes to families open to Early Help Services or Social Care in Thurrock.
The primary programme utilised is Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities (SFSC) which is delivered in line with local need across the district on a rolling basis. Triple P, Incredible Years, STOP and Mellow Mums are also run and a project will soon be piloted to deliver online support for parents who have a child with specific needs around conduct disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
The service offers up to 12 programmes a year reaching 180 parents.
Parenting programmes for adopters
Coram offers two types of parenting programmes tailored to the needs of adopters. Parents of children aged eight and under take part in the Parenting Skills for Adopters programme while parents of older adopted children take part in the STOP programme.
Stay and play
Coram's Stay and Play sessions give Early Permanence foster carers and adoptive parents with children below school age a chance to come and play, chat and seek informal support from one another and support and advice from the post-adoption team, including a child psychotherapist. To find a Stay and Play session, see the events section on our dedicated adoption site Coram ambitious for adoption
Young parents
Coram supports young parents so that they can develop the skills needed to care for their baby and engage in education. This includes a peer education programme in schools where young parents educate their peers about the impact of having a baby at a young age. For more information see the Young Parenthood programme.
Managing risk for children
The Family Drug and Alcohol Court aims to ensure better outcomes for children and families during care proceedings. It offers an alternative, more successful way of supporting parents to overcome substance misuse, mental health issues, and domestic abuse that have put their children at risk of serious harm. Find out more.