Our Time
Supporting children of parents who have a mental illness
Our Time supports children who have a parent with mental health problems, making sure they are understood rather than overlooked. It is where KidsTime Workshops began: welcoming, creative family sessions where children can finally ask the questions they have been carrying, and parents feel supported too.
Our Time works across a child’s whole support network. It trains local teams to run KidsTime Workshops in their communities, gives school staff training and classroom resources, and offers courses for professionals in health, social care and education, so the adults around a child know how to notice, listen and help.
Children feel less alone and stop blaming themselves. They understand what is happening at home, find their voice and feel lighter. Families talk more openly and grow closer. With understanding comes protection too: children who make sense of a parent’s illness are less likely to struggle with their own mental health later on.
2024
Year they joined the Raise Your Hands platform
828
Children and Young People supported last year
Why they’re needed
When a parent has mental health problems, it changes their child’s world too. Life at home can be unpredictable, and children may worry more, miss out on parts of childhood or take on adult responsibilities, such as looking after a parent, the house or medication, often without anyone noticing.
Many grow up without anyone explaining what is going on. When no one talks about it, children can feel confused, isolated or even to blame, and the strain can show up at school. Yet there is still no dedicated national support for these children, so whether they get help often depends on where they live.
With the right support and understanding, these children can grow up confident, happy and strong. Often it starts with one adult, a teacher, a social worker or a family member, who recognises what is happening and makes time to listen. Our Time exists to make sure those adults are ready.
How they do it
KidsTime Workshops are monthly group sessions held in familiar community settings, such as children’s centres. Children and parents learn, play and talk together without shame or blame. Using games, activities and drama, children explore their feelings and learn about their parent’s mental health. Local teams trained by Our Time run workshops across the UK.
For schools, Our Time offers CPD-certified online courses, from a short introduction for all staff to deeper training for pastoral and safeguarding teams, plus tailored whole-school support. Classroom resources, including short films made with young people, circle-time sessions and an activity pack linked to a touring play, help teachers start honest, age-appropriate conversations.
Our Time also trains professionals across health, social care and the voluntary sector, through self-paced courses developed with partners such as UCL and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, and bespoke sessions for teams. Its podcast, My Family, Mental Illness and Me, and its I Wish campaign share the voices of people who grew up alongside parental mental illness.
Find out more about Our Time’s amazing work
Kirsty’s Story
Kirsty grew up caring for her dad, who has bipolar disorder. She often felt confused and guilty, as if she were somehow responsible for his moods, and few of the professionals around the family ever asked how she was feeling.
At eight, she joined a KidsTime Workshop. “Joining KidsTime changed everything,” she says. “Being given somewhere to go to learn about my dad’s condition was a relief.” She learned to spot the warning signs, who to turn to for help and, most importantly, that his illness was not her fault. Her relationship with her dad grew stronger, and she felt confident enough to explain his illness to her friends.
Today, Kirsty is Our Time’s Workshop Training and Community Lead, helping more children get the same chance she had.
Support Our Time along with 15 other children’s charities
Our Time is one of a portfolio of small UK children’s charities championed by Raise Your Hands. When you donate to us, your gift is shared equally between every charity in the portfolio.
One donation. 16 small charities. 16 ways to change a young life.
