Parent Carers Support

A Parent Carer or guardian is someone who provides support to their child, including grown up son or daughter, aged up to 25 years, who could not manage without their help. This care could be due to the child or adult being ill, disabled or having a mental illness or addiction.

As a Parent Carer you may not see yourself as a Carer and think that you are just looking after your child, professionals around you may also not see you as a Carer either. It is important to recognise yourself as a Parent Carer as you will be able to move forward in accessing the right support, services and information that you require.

As a parent of a child with a disability or long-term illness, life can be incredibly demanding. You may find that you spend so much time fighting for the right support for your child, that your own physical and mental wellbeing is abandoned. Reaching out for support is not always easy, so simply being on this page is a step in the right direction. 

Here you will be able to find the right information, advice and specialist services who can support you and your family to achieve the best possible outcome. It may be some light touch support or more intense support, there is something to help everyone.

How can I ask for my child’s needs to be assessed?

As a Parent Carer you have the right to have your child and your family’s needs assessed by social services. The process that social services use to decide if additional help is required to meet your family’s needs is called a needs assessment. A Parent Carer themselves or a professional helping the family can request a needs assessment.

What is a Max Card?

A Max Card is for families who have a child with a disability living in the household aged from birth to 25 years (proof will be required) in Walsall. Max Cards give you FREE or discounted entry to literally hundreds of fantastic family friendly attractions. To qualify for the Max Card, you need to be the parent or Carer of a child with an additional need and/or disability.