Parents of children with special needs have a new chance to connect while their children have fun at Williamstown.
MyTime is a group that meets weekly, offering peer support and resources for parents and carers of children with special needs.
Footscray-based Tweddle Child and Family Health Service launched the group, inviting parents and carers to drop in, meet other parents and have time to unwind and talk about their experiences.
National MyTime director Annette Michaux said receiving a diagnosis that their child has autism, a chronic medical condition or a developmental delay immediately changed the course of parents’ lives.
She said families then had to navigate the disability support system, access resources and build new friendships and connections.
“Research tells us that many parents of children with disability struggle with finding time to look after themselves, and that social isolation is a real danger for these unsung heroes” she said.
MyTime co-ordinator Kylee Brealey, herself the mother of a child with special needs, has been involved with MyTime for more than six years. “Parents know that they can come to MyTime and not feel judged,” she said.
“Not a week goes by when a parent won’t share their struggles or ask for advice from others.”
MyTime convenes at 83 Cecil Street, Williamstown, from 10am until noon on Fridays during school term. Details: www.tweddle.org.au or 9689 1577
