Our stories

For two first-time mums in custody, Faith* and Laura*, having babies at the same time and sharing the joy of watching them learn and grow, just as they have, has built a strong connection and sense of community.

Both are attentive parents, with their babies living with them in custody. Faith loves to excitedly share her daughter’s developmental milestones, while Laura is always up for a chat about her baby son and is a friendly face around the centre.

Both mums have had difficult lives, with few positive role models growing up. Because of this, they have relied heavily on the support and information the SHINE for Kids team has offered during this exciting but also daunting time as they become parents themselves.

Fun (and mess!) at Playgroup

They began attending Playgroup soon after their babies’ births and clearly appreciate having access to parenting support.

“During the early months, while their babies were still very young, we would spend time chatting with them about developmental milestones and strategies for supporting their baby’s growth,” said our team.

As time has passed and the babies have grown, Faith and Laura have remained engaged, often suggesting ideas for activities and helping to set up and organise resources alongside the SHINE for Kids team.

“Laura and Faith have taken an active role in planning playgroup activities for their children,” said our team.

“These experiences are often delightfully messy, especially for one baby who loves splashing, resulting in everyone – mums, babies and us alike – ending up covered from head to toe! Through this, the mums quickly learnt to delay bath time until after playgroup, embracing the mess as part of the children’s learning and enjoyment.”

Confidence and Cuddles

As the babies have grown together, they have developed a close bond and appear comfortable and happy in each other’s company.

“They crawl over and around each other during play, showing excitement and engagement,” said our team.

“The mums naturally share caregiving responsibilities during playgroup, frequently switching babies depending on who is crawling where or who needs support at the time.

“This reflects the strong sense of trust, connection and mutual support that has developed between Laura and Faith, as well as the nurturing community created within the playgroup.”

It has been rewarding for our team to support these mums as they grow in confidence. They are now very at ease in their roles as carers, responding quickly when their child is tired, hungry or unwell, and always showing lots of love.

“It has been wonderful to witness their growth as parents, particularly their increasing confidence, curiosity and excitement as they learn more about their children’s personalities, strengths and needs.”

Building a Better Future

Both mums have also taken part in our parenting program, Bringing Up Great Kids, attending every session with insightful questions and active participation.

They were very proud to receive their certificates at the program’s conclusion, and it’s clear they are applying what they have learned in their day-to-day lives—maintaining calm under stress and responding to their children’s needs and emotional cues with confidence.

“Both mums have shared how learning about developmental milestones and what to look out for has been so helpful,” said our team.

With continued support, we know these mums will build a better future for their children and themselves.

“Faith has talked about how having a baby means things will be different for her when she gets out. She wants to be a good example for her daughter and turn her life around,” said our team.

“I have loved seeing them grow in confidence in their new roles as mums. They have both embraced it and it has been beautiful to see their little babies grow up too.”

*Names and images changed