For many years, Peach Tree Perinatal Wellness has partnered with Sing&Grow to support parents and young children across Brisbane's northside communities. As a peer-led organisation supporting parents experiencing perinatal mental health challenges, Peach Tree creates opportunities for recovery, community and wellbeing through lived experience, helping families build confidence, reduce isolation and strengthen relationships.
According to Jess Hobbs, Peach Tree's Groups Coordinator, the partnership began with a shared commitment to supporting families in meaningful and accessible ways.
"Our partnership grew from our initial networking and conversations with Sing&Grow, where we recognised that many of the families accessing our service were eligible for and could benefit from the program," she said.
"We saw an opportunity to connect families with a structured and engaging music-based program that was accessible, strengths-focused and supportive of connection and wellbeing, particularly for parents who may benefit from additional opportunities to build confidence, connection and community."
The program aligned naturally with Peach Tree's philosophy of building a strong village around parents and children.
"We also saw the program as aligning closely with our goal of building a strong sense of community and 'village' around parents and families," Jess explained.
"It offered parents an opportunity to connect with other families, build relationships and strengthen their sense of belonging, while extending the support available through our peer-led groups and programs."
Over time, Sing&Grow has become a valued part of Peach Tree's broader network of support, creating a welcoming environment where families come together through music, play and shared experiences. A key strength of the long-standing partnership has been the involvement of Peach Tree's Peer Workers, who attend sessions alongside families and help create an additional trusted point of support.
"As the partnership developed, we identified the value of having one of our Peer Workers attend the sessions alongside families and the music therapist," Jess said.
"This has created an additional familiar point of connection for families while allowing our Peer Worker to engage with families in a supportive and strengths-based way."
For Peach Tree, one of the most significant outcomes has been seeing how the program strengthens parent-child relationships in practical and achievable ways.
"In our experience, Sing&Grow has had a meaningful impact on both parents and children," Jess reflected.
"It walks alongside the work we do at Peach Tree, supporting parents through their own healing and recovery journeys while creating a positive and achievable opportunity to connect with their children."
She notes that for some parents, particularly during difficult periods, meaningful moments with their children can feel out of reach.
"For some parents, particularly during periods when they are experiencing significant challenges, finding the capacity for play and connection can feel difficult. Sing&Grow provides a gentle, supported space where they can simply be present with their child and experience the joy of connecting through music."
Over the years, the impact on participating children has also been clear.
"Some of our regular families have participated in the program multiple times, and we have been able to see positive changes in their children's confidence, social skills, self-regulation and ability to interact with others over time," Jess said.
"One of the most meaningful impacts we see is the opportunity for connection between parent and child. For some families, this provides a valuable space for a parent who may have been experiencing disconnection from their child to share positive experiences, play and enjoy being together."
The impact of the partnership is perhaps best illustrated through families like Philadelphia Hughes, who has participated in group music therapy at Peach Tree with each of her three children.
Philadelphia first joined Sing&Grow in 2020 and has since become one of the program's strongest advocates, later participating in the Sing&Grow Family Mentor pilot to encourage other families to get involved.
"We listen to the songs we learned during the sessions in the car all the time," she said.
"It was a special time set aside to interact with them and not be distracted by other things you have to do."
Her family's connection to Sing&Grow spans years. When her youngest daughter, Gracie, was born, Philadelphia was determined to continue attending.
"We started doing one when Gracie was eight days old. We missed the first session because I was in hospital," she laughed.
For Philadelphia, the program offered much more than music. It provided dedicated time to slow down and be fully present with her children during the often-busy early years of parenting.
"It's a lovely way for adults to interact with children and learn how to have fun with them," she said.
"It's not like a normal playgroup. It's very different. It's a therapy environment."
Reflecting on her family's journey, she describes Sing&Grow as an opportunity to pause and focus entirely on being with her children.
"I feel like it's time that is set to stop, breathe and intentionally be with your children. That's why I really loved it. I have so many lovely memories about it."
For Jess, stories like Philadelphia's capture why the partnership has endured for so many years. Beyond the benefits experienced by participating families, the collaboration has also strengthened Peach Tree's own understanding of relationship-based approaches and the role music can play in supporting family wellbeing.
"These experiences have shown us that the impact of Sing&Grow extends beyond the sessions themselves," she said.
"The combination of consistency, flexibility, music and supported parent-child connection creates opportunities for children and parents to experience success and connection together."
"For our Peer Workers and our team that have been part of these programs, this has provided valuable opportunities to observe and learn from the music therapist, strengthening our understanding of how music, play and relationship-based approaches can support parent-child connection," Jess said.
Looking back over the partnership, Jess believes Sign&Grow’s longevity comes down to its ability to create meaningful experiences for families in a way that feels welcoming and accessible.
"I think Sing&Grow's success over the past 25 years comes from its ability to build connection in a way that feels accessible, engaging and natural for families," she said.
"Music and play provide a gentle way for parents and children to connect without the experience feeling formal or clinical."
Today, Sing&Grow remains an important part of the wider support network surrounding Peach Tree families, providing opportunities for shared experiences, confidence-building and meaningful moments between parents and children throughout their parenting journey.
"Happy 25th Anniversary, Sing&Grow. What an incredible achievement," Jess said.
"We're so grateful for the way you walk alongside families and community services, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of Sing&Grow continue for many years to come."