Our helpline was established in 1989 at the Alder Centre, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. A similar helpline, the Child Death Helpline was established at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust in 1992.

In 1995 the experience and tradition of both centres were brought together to form the national freephone Child Death Helpline dedicated to provide a quality Freephone service to anyone affected by the death of a child of any age – whether they are parents, grandparents, siblings, family members, friends or involved professionals.

The Child Death Helpline is staffed by volunteers, all of them bereaved parents. All of our volunteers are trained, supervised and supported by professional teams within Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust and the Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The helpline is a partnership between professionals and parents working together to provide a professional service to anyone affected by the death of a child of any age.

The Child Death Helpline aims to provide a quality freephone service to anyone affected by the death of a child of any age. Callers to the helpline might be parents, grandparents, siblings, other family members, friends or involved professionals.

We offer a confidential, safe environment within which a caller can talk openly about the child’s life and death. Callers are given the opportunity to freely express their worries and emotions.

We provide support not only at times of crisis but also for ongoing needs of callers over their lifetime.

Your call is confidential...

Our confidential helpline is not a counselling service but we are able to listen and provide helpful information of local services.

All your calls are confidential. Volunteers make notes of general themes about calls to discuss between themselves how better to support the diversity of its callers. Nothing by which any caller can be identified or traced is ever written down.

​A freephone service for all those affected by the death of a child
Our confidential helpline is open every day of the year.

​Monday to Sunday
19:00 to 22:00

Monday, Thursday and Friday
10:00 to 13:00

Tuesday and Wednesday
10:00 to 16:00

​Call our freephone helpline on
​0800 282 986.