It has been both an honour and a privilege to witness the development of what I believe will become a key foundational training for professionals working in parent education. The Parent Group Facilitator Training and accompanying guide have been thoughtfully designed to address a long-recognised gap in the parent education sector, both in Victoria and more broadly.

I am thrilled that this long-awaited, first-of-its-kind training will officially launch in September 2026.

This strengths-based training program has been developed for professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, experience levels and cultural perspectives who are interested in either beginning their journey in parent education or refreshing their existing facilitation skills.

The training aims to equip participants with the confidence, practical tools and facilitation skills needed to deliver evidence-based parenting programs and sessions to diverse groups of parents. This includes working with families from different cultural backgrounds, parents of children across all developmental stages, and parents navigating additional or specific needs.

A recent skills training-gap check confirmed what many professionals in the field have recognised for years: while there are excellent parenting program trainings available, current training opportunities for professionals tend to fall into two broad categories.

The first focuses on specific parenting programs, such as Bringing Up Great Kids and similar models, which train facilitators to deliver content with fidelity to the program design. While invaluable, these trainings often provide less focus on the broader realities of facilitating parent groups, including managing diverse experiences, navigating group dynamics, and responding to the practical challenges that arise in day-to-day parent education work.

The second category includes general group facilitation training applicable to a range of settings such as leadership, team building, assertiveness or anger management programs, but without a specific focus on the unique nature of parenting groups and the emotional complexity involved in supporting parents.

This training has been specifically created to bridge that gap.

Over 4 weeks, 4 online modules of 3.5 hours each including a reflective journal that participants use as they participate in the training. The last module includes participant presentations. Participants will experience a highly practical, experiential and engaging learning environment that prepares them to confidently facilitate parenting programs with a wide variety of parent cohorts. Importantly, there is also an ongoing professional connection and support through network and mentoring opportunities available in some states and territories.  

Upon completion of the training, participants will have developed the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to:.

• Plan, deliver and evaluate parenting programs in both face-to-face and online settings 

• Facilitate parent learning through experiential, safe, supportive and engaging approaches 

• Respond effectively to challenges, barriers and opportunities that arise within parent groups 

• Understand the history and broader context of parent education and the significant impact of this work within families and communities 

• Recognise the unique dynamics and requirements of parenting groups compared with other forms of group facilitation 

• Build ongoing professional connections through networking, collaboration and continued support opportunities 

Now more than ever, training like this is essential. While information is increasingly accessible through technology and AI, many parents continue to feel overwhelmed, isolated and unsure where to turn. Parent groups provide something technology cannot replace: a safe and supportive space where parents can feel heard, validated, connected and empowered throughout their parenting journey. And those groups need parent group facilitators that are adequately trained and supported.

Having worked in this field for over 30 years, I would highly recommend this training to any organisation or professional committed to supporting parents in the complex, rewarding and deeply important work of raising children in today’s diverse and rapidly changing world. 

Tamara Hrabric-Krajcar 
Former Parenting Practice Lead, City of Melbourne