Strengthening Support for Families Through MyTime

At the core of every MyTime group are skilled facilitators who create welcoming, strengths-based environments where families can find support, build confidence and develop lasting connections.

Across Australia, MyTime provides a vital space where parents and carers of children with disability, developmental delay or chronic medical conditions can connect with others who may have a shared understanding of their experiences through peer support.

Recently, Play Matters Australia brought together our MyTime facilitators from across Queensland for professional development and networking, creating an opportunity to share knowledge, strengthen practice and reflect on the impact the program is having for families.

Investing in Facilitators Strengthens Support for Families

Throughout the training, facilitators consistently identified peer learning, relationship building and the sharing of practical ideas as the most meaningful aspects of the experience. They valued learning how different groups operate, exchanging resources and activities, and exploring new approaches to supporting parent and carer conversations.

As one facilitator reflected:

"This was a very warm, friendly, supportive environment."

Another shared:

"I loved hearing and learning so many things, it was honestly so worth every minute."

The Ripple Effect of Peer Support

The stories shared by facilitators during the training highlighted the significant role MyTime plays in strengthening families and communities.

Facilitators described seeing parents move from isolation to connection, developing friendships, sharing knowledge and supporting one another through complex challenges. Experienced MyTime members often mentor those who are earlier in their caring journey, creating informal networks of support that extend well beyond the group setting.

One facilitator reflected on the power of these relationships:

"There is nothing better than when you hear they are building friendships and connecting outside of the group."

Another spoke about the importance of creating spaces where families feel safe enough to be vulnerable, ask questions and share experiences:

"Our group is successful because we create that safe environment for all members."

Pictured above: Kate and Tina from MyTime Coomera and Southport present on their groups and approach to support.

These stories align strongly with evidence from the MyTime Impact Report, which shows that families participating in MyTime experience improvements in community connection, parenting confidence, self-care and optimism for the future. Parents report feeling better able to access support, more confident in their role as a parent or carer, and increasingly connected to their local communities.

Importantly, these outcomes grow over time, reinforcing the value of consistent peer support and trusted relationships and continued investment in these free, low-pressure opportunities for parents and carers to attend in their local community.

A Program Built on Strengths and Lived Experience

Across Queensland, Play Matters Australia delivers 22 MyTime groups - across Australia online, from Mossman in the North, to Currumbin in the South. PMA supports more than 330 families through over 500 sessions each year. Within the broader national network, MyTime delivers 4,680 group sessions annually through 181 groups and 188 facilitators, supporting more than 3,600 families.

The diversity of group experiences shared during the training highlighted the flexibility of the MyTime model and its commitment to responding to local community needs.

Facilitators described groups supporting families with young children awaiting therapy services, carers navigating school transitions, parents of teenagers preparing for adulthood, and families seeking practical strategies for everyday challenges.

Regardless of location or demographic, a common theme emerged: families benefit most when they have opportunities to connect with others who understand their experiences.

Many facilitators bring lived experience as carers themselves, helping to foster genuine understanding and connection. Groups also benefit from guest speakers, specialist organisations and local services that provide practical information and insights tailored to the needs and interests of participating families.

Learning for the Future

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, the training also provided valuable insights into emerging needs for families and opportunities to strengthen future professional development. Areas such as building stronger connections, navigating challenging conversations, access to more practical resources and tools and marketing and community engagement were all areas of potential further training and improvement.

Continuing to Build a Stronger Future for Families

One of the most powerful reflections from the training came from MyTime facilitator Kirsty Wardle (facilitates four groups for PMA – Tarragindi, Mt Ommaney, Leichhardt, Bellbird Park), who captured the essence of the program:

"My hope is that if there was no one there to facilitate the group, the parents and caregivers could rely on each other to run the group, make friendships and bonds and feel empowered to lean on their own network and community."

By investing in facilitator capability, fostering peer learning and continuously improving practice, Play Matters Australia and the Parenting Research Centre are helping ensure families have access to the support, connection and understanding they need.

As MyTime continues to evolve, the core values of strengthening the networks around parents and carers, recognising their expertise, and through MyTime creating opportunities to build stronger, more resilient communities for families of children with disability and developmental delay.

You can view the Play Matters Australia MyTime groups here: MyTime | Play Matters

More information on national MyTime groups and activities can be found here: MyTime - Supporting parents and carers of children with disability