NSPCC - Who to turn to - Helpline - Worried about a crying child?

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Worried about someone else’s crying child?

The Helpline often receives calls from people who are worried because a baby or child living near them is heard crying frequently. There could be a number of explanations for this. It is important to consider them all before assuming that the child is suffering abuse or neglect.

What might be the problem?

Some babies are more difficult to settle than others. The baby may be suffering from colic or have a disability that makes it hard for them to relax and sleep.
The parents may be new parents who are finding the experience of caring for a baby overwhelming. They may be in need of support and advice on how to meet their child's needs.
If the child is older, he or she may be crying for attention because the parents are finding it difficult to deal with the competing demands of all their children. The parents may have not yet have been able to develop a family routine that meets everyone's needs.
The parents may be neglecting the child or baby. They may not be responding to his or her needs promptly and in the right way. So the child is crying in an attempt to draw attention to its unmet needs.
The baby or child may be being abused physically, or in some other way. Find out more about the different types of child abuse.

A helping hand

If you know the family, try to discuss your concerns with the parents. Perhaps you could offer some practical support, such as babysitting or help with finding out about voluntary organisations that can help (see useful contacts below).

Encourage the parents to discuss their child's continuous crying with a health visitor or GP. These professionals will check for any medical or developmental reasons and also offer advice on how to soothe the child.

Advice from the Helpline

If you contact the NSPCC Helpline about a baby or child whom you can hear crying, we advise you to try and find out more about the family. This helps make sure that we take any contributing factors into account.

The Helpline adviser will ask about the length and frequency of the crying; also whether you have any other concerns about the child or family. With this information, we can then advise you and, if necessary, take action to protect the child.

If the Helpline adviser thinks the child may be at risk, they will pass the information you give us to the local social services department and ask them to investigate the situation.

If social services need to be involved

Social services will talk to the parents about the concerns that have been raised and offer support and advice about caring for the child. They may also:

ask the family health visitor to support and advise the parents
encourage the parents to get practical support and advice from a voluntary agency such as Sure Start
help to co-ordinate support for the parents from relatives and friends.

If social services think that the child is in danger of serious harm, they will take action to protect the child. This may include removing him or her from the parents' care.

Find out more about confidentiality on the Helpline.

IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT ABOUT THE SAFETY OF A CHILD, CONTACT THE NSPCC HELPLINE ON 0808 800 5000. All NSPCC Helpline advisers are qualified child protection officers.

Useful contacts

NSPCC Helpline
Tel: 0808 800 5000
Email: Helpline@nspcc.org.uk

NSPCC Asian Helpline
Bengali 0800 096 7714
Gujurati 0800 096 7715
Hindi 0800 096 7716
Punjabi 0800 096 7717
Urdu 0800 096 7718
Asian/English 0800 096 7719

Cymru/Wales Child Protection Helpline
Freephone: 0808 100 2524.
Email: helplinecymru@nspcc.org.uk in English or Welsh.
Textphone: Freephone 0808 100 1033. This is for people with hearing difficulties.
Fax: 01248 361085

Serene (including the Cry-sis helpline)
020 7404 5011
Mon -Fri 8am-11pm
Sat & Sun 8am-11pm
www.cry-sis.org.uk
Helpline for parents or carers of excessively crying, sleepless and demanding babies. Offers a listening ear and suggestions on calming a baby, helping it to sleep better, and generally helping parents to cope.

Parentline plus
Freephone 0808 800 2222
Mon-Fri 8am-10pm
Sat 9.30 -5pm
Sun 10am-3pm
www.parentlineplus.org.uk
A free and confidential helpline for anyone in a parenting role. Offers support and information on all issues of concern including education, bullying, alcohol, drugs, and behaviour. Staffed by parents.

Home-start UK
Freephone 0800 068 6368
www.home-start.org.uk
Family support organisation. Provides trained parent volunteers to help any parent with at least one child under five who is finding it hard to cope. Offers support, advice, friendship, and practical help in the family home.

Newpin
0207 358 5900
www.newpin.org.uk
Voluntary organisation working with families to help break the cycle of destructive family behaviour. Mostly works with parents with pre-school children.

Sure Start
0207 273 4830
Government programme to support children through the integration of early education, child care and health and family support services.