Carefree Kids

Who we are

Carefree Kids is a small, expanding, community-based children’s mental health charity based in Walthamstow, run by local people who live and/or work in or local to the borough. Our main service so far has been the provision of one-to-one therapeutic play sessions for 3–16-year-olds (counselling or other therapies for older children as appropriate) in their own school during the school day, and counselling for parents. The sessions are facilitated by our dedicated team of trained volunteers, some of whom are qualified or students from a variety of counselling or arts therapy courses. We have around 50 volunteers — male and female — from all walks of life, all ages, and all ethnic, social and educational backgrounds. Sessions are open ended with no fixed time limits imposed, respecting the child or young person’s own pace. We stay with them for many months and even years, if the need is there. We use the child-led model of therapeutic play, as well as incorporating our own ideas and non-directive methods.