Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Sparking Connection

TSWA Management October 22, 2025

Sparking Connection: How responsive parenting fosters confidence, resilience and social emotional development in kids.

Sparking Connection will cover:

What is responsive parenting? Exploring attunement, consistency, empathy and limit-setting.
Positive outcomes and benefits of these moments of connection, particularly in the context of early medical intervention or ongoing medical needs.
Incorporating moments of responsiveness and connection in everyday life- including ways to play.
How to respond to moments of difficulty (emotion dysregulation, behavioural difficulties).
Things which make responsive parenting difficult and how to manage these difficulties.

Please join us for this insightful webinar presented by Phoebe Carrington-Jones, Clinical Psychologist with the Western Kids Health Team on:

📆 Thursday, 30 October

⏰ 1pm

Registration is essential.

Community Conversation: Pregnancy perspectives of bacterial infections, screening, and treatment

TSWA Management October 13, 2025

The University of Western Australia’s perinatal research team wants to hear from mothers - prospective, expecting and current about what they know about bacterial infections and screening during pregnancy. Your experiences and insights will help to shape this research to improve understanding and prevention of infection in early life. This Community Conversation will be exploring understanding, experiences and perspectives on bacterial infection, screening and preventative treatments during pregnancy to gain perspectives, insights and experiences around Group B Streptococcus (GBS), screening and prevention and treatment.

Attendees will be offered an $80 honorarium (gift card) and light refreshments will be provided on the night.

WE SEEK:

Mothers - prospective, expecting and/or current
A mother who has had an infection during pregnancy or who has had a baby with an infection while you were pregnant (not a requirement to attend)

DATE: Wednesday 5 November 2025

TIME: 10am – 12pm (AWST/Perth time)

LOCATION: Online

Submit your EOI here: https://bit.ly/42JRZ8r

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Language Begins at Birth- Simple Ways to Read and Connect with Your Little One

TSWA Management September 16, 2025

Language Begins at Birth: Simple Ways to Read and Connect with Your Little One

This free webinar in the Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks series will help you discover how reading with your baby or toddler builds language skills and deepens connection from the very beginning. This short, practical session is perfect for parents and caregivers looking to make book sharing fun, easy, and meaningful.

What you'll learn:

📚 How book sharing can be fun and a rich learning experience

💡 Ideas and strategies to try during reading time

🧸 What book sharing looks like at different ages

🤔 Tips if your little one isn’t into books yet

📖 Book recommendations to get you started

Please join us for this insightful webinar presented by Kathryn Morrison, Speech Pathologist with the Western Kids Health Team on:

📆 Wednesday, 24 September

⏰ 11am

Registration is essential.

NEXT SPARK AWARD

TSWA Management August 4, 2025

The award is designed to support early career researchers in health and medical sciences. This initiative aims to bring bright ideas to life that benefit children and young people born prematurely and their families.

Expressions of interest open 4/8/25 and close 22/9/25 with finalists receiving individual mentoring in October to perfect their Pitch. You are all invited to the live Pitch event which will take place at Mounts Bay Sailing Club on November 16. Make a pledge to support the award and purchase your tickets for the pitch on the ‘Tickets’ link below. Everyone in attendance will vote and the winner will take home the prize and most importantly have some resources to turn their Next Spark idea into an epic bonfire.

Huge thanks to Graham Hall and Clare Berry who have generously provided their time and expertise to help us bring the Next Spark Award to life.

📆 Sunday, 16 November 2025

🕰️ 4pm - 6pm

🎟️ One beverage on arrival and light refreshments

📍 Mounts Bay Sailing Club, Australia II Drive, Crawley *The function room is only accessible via stairs*

application info

tickets

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Helping your little one with toileting and independence

TSWA Management July 25, 2025

Helping Your Little One with Toileting and Independence

This free webinar in the Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks series explores helping your little one with toileting independence. It will cover:

🧻 Understanding the Journey: Learn what toileting readiness can look like for children.

🧻 Toilet Training Tips That Work: Discover gentle, consistent approaches to toilet training that build confidence and preparedness for both you and your child.

🧻 Practical Support for Everyday Life: Explore simple, real-world strategies to manage setbacks, encourage routine, and make toileting part of your family’s daily rhythm.

Please join us for this insightful webinar presented by Karina Caldwell, continence physiotherapist with the Western Kids Health Team on:

📆 Thursday, 7 August

⏰ 1pm

Registration is essential.

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Tiny Sparks WA is Western Australia's premier charity for
high-risk pregnancies and babies born sick or premature.

FEATURED POSTS

Blog

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Sparking Connection

about 4 hours ago

Community Conversation: Pregnancy perspectives of bacterial infections, screening, and treatment

about a week ago

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Language Begins at Birth- Simple Ways to Read and Connect with Your Little One

about a month ago

NEXT SPARK AWARD

about 2 months ago

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Helping your little one with toileting and independence

about 2 months ago

INSTAGRAM FEED

World Hearing Day We can’t emphasise the importance of newborn hearing screening enough! The earlier you are aware of hearing loss, the more success early intervention is. A staggering 5% of the world population require intervention for hearing loss.

This past week we were contacted by a family with a heartbreaking story. We can’t share their story with you, but they did pose a question we can share. ‘What would it take to ensure every family admitted to NICU receives a Care Package in WA each year?’ Each year around 4,500 babies are admitted to a Neonatal Unit in WA. To fund a Care Package for each of these families we need to raise $180,000! We started this program back in 2014 and were delivering just 10 packages a month. The program has grown and grown and we are now delivering just over 100 packages per month but we need to see that number more than triple, so no family goes without! Please help us, help more WA families by making a tax deductible donation. https://www.justgiving.com/tinysparkswainc

Shout out to little Lewi (ex 27 weeker, now in year 2) Lewi was told 7 month's ago that he was going blind in his left eye - which has been an ongoing issue from birth. After 7 months of eye patching for 2 hours a day, his eye sight is now 'perfect'. So for the next 3 months at least, he is eye patch free. They do not expect his sight to change again. It’s been a hard 7 month's, with lots of tears, arguments, questions but he has done the hard work and it has paid off. Lewi wanted to share his story so he can inspire any other Tiny Sparks that may be going through a similar journey. (And their mums and dads too) Dont give up he says "it will be worth it in the end" Love Lewi x

Many organisations we partner with have been impacted this morning. It is unclear what the longer term outlook is at this stage. If you wish to stay connected with them please look at their websites. You can find ours here: https://www.tinysparkswa.org.au

Our volunteers deliver around 100 Care Packages each month! Providing essential items to families in Neonatal Units and supporting women admitted for long term hospital bedrest to prolong their pregnancy.

DEVELOPMENTAL PLAYGROUP - ENROLMENT OPEN Many of our tiny sparks have incredibly challenging starts to life. The interventions they receive to save their lives can have life long consequences, but just who will be impacted, and how these consequences may unfold is largely unknown. Our Developmental Playgroup seeks to provide early support from suitably trained developmental experts in the fields of physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy to provide advice and guidance to families in a play based setting. Enrolments for Term 1 are now OPEN! Enrolment is open to any child in WA aged 6m actual age to 3 years of age who was admitted to a Neonatal Unit after birth. Neonatal Unit admission can be for any reason including but not limited to premature birth, sick full term, or surgical requirements. The cost of this program is heavily subsidised by our fundraising efforts and generous donors. Enrolment can be completed via our website: https://www.tinysparkswa.org.au/shop/dpgt420new-6fwty

From all of us to all of you wishing you a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Stay safe, make some memories and enjoy each others company 🎅🏻🎄💜

For many years we have run our annual Christmas Quilt Drive and in spite of COVIDs attempts to derail everything in 2020, humanity prevailed! Many sewing groups ran with this project including the remarkable Get Scrubbed Group and our own Crafty Creators. Since the delivery cut off we have been busy sorting, packing, posting and delivering to 26 hospitals around the state. Our final delivery was made this morning to Bunbury Regional Hospital. Along with the Christmas quilts, stockings and cards, hospitals also received ‘Baby’s 1st Christmas 2020’ ornaments thanks to the ongoing generous support of local family run business, @footeandflame . This year we distributed a staggering 544 gifts for Christmas in maternity, Neonatal and Special Care Nursery beds all over WA! Huge thanks to volunteers Christine H, Elke, Zach and Xavier for generously giving their time to assist with collation and deliveries. To our drop off points Margaret, Jenny, Liesl, Briana, Sandra and Christine L thank you for opening your homes for drop offs. Melinda thank you for hosting the stocking sew along and answering lots of questions. To everyone who coordinated family, friends or an organised sewing group we thank you! Thanks to you, Christmas in hospital this year will be a special time for so many. Thank you all for helping to make this possible 🙌🏻💜🎄

The Interact Club at Willetton Senior High School voted to support Tiny Sparks WA with the funds made from a fundraiser, Spring Cool Down, where they sold drinks, ice creams, and icy poles to students. Interact is a youth branch of Rotary International and comprises of students between the ages of 12-18 who participate in regular fundraising and community service activities for both local and international charities. Last year, they were able to donate over $10,000 to various incredible organisations. Club Secretary Angela says, ‘We recognise your organisation's invaluable efforts in improving the wellbeing of mothers enduring high-risk pregnancies and children born sick or premature who require neonatal unit care. You have all helped positively impact many lives, and we admire and respect your hard work.’ Funds donated by the Interact Club will support our Care Package program. The students were asked to provide a message of support to the recipients. Their cards will read, ‘This care package has been sponsored by the Interact Club of Willetton Senior High School. We hope this supports you and your family during these difficult circumstances.’ Thank you Interact Willetton 🙌🏻💜 We are so grateful for your generous contribution! 📸 Picture supplied by Willetton Senior High School

International Volunteer Day 🙌🏻💜 “Volunteering is at the very core of being a human. No one has made it through life without someone else’s help.” - Heather French Henry As a 100% volunteer run organisation we truly value every single person who contributes their time to further our mission, to improve the health and wellbeing of Western Australian families enduring high-risk pregnancy, infants requiring neonatal unit care and the associated childhood impacts; including the communities supporting them. Thank you all 💐🙌🏻💜

TWITTER FEED

Tiny Sparks WA

RT @drbretty: 4 realz #neotwitter, this takes like 3 minutes to complete👇 Help prioritize the most important questions to answer… https://t.co/mhMp4Scs9E
Dec 15, 2022, 7:42 PM
Tiny Sparks WA

RT @CREStillbirth: Are you passionate about improving antenatal care in Australia? We need your help! @CREStillbirth is conducting a… https://t.co/7Kgl9pjHVu
Dec 8, 2022, 8:11 AM
Tiny Sparks WA

RT @DrColeFletch: "You'll get better at it if you do it over and over". A powerful message from Ylva Therström Blomqvist at today's… https://t.co/qiJsbj4TQJ
Dec 8, 2022, 8:11 AM

Tiny Sparks WA is Western Australia's premier charity for
high-risk pregnancies and babies born sick or premature.

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Sparking Connection

Community Conversation: Pregnancy perspectives of bacterial infections, screening, and treatment

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Language Begins at Birth- Simple Ways to Read and Connect with Your Little One

NEXT SPARK AWARD

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Helping your little one with toileting and independence

Tiny Sparks WA is Western Australia's premier charity for
high-risk pregnancies and babies born sick or premature.

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Tiny Sparks WA is Western Australia's premier charity for high-risk pregnancies and babies born sick or premature.

Tiny Sparks WA is Western Australia's premier charity forhigh-risk pregnancies and babies born sick or premature.

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Tiny Sparks WA is Western Australia's premier charity for high-risk pregnancies and babies born sick or premature.

Tiny Sparks WA is Western Australia's premier charity for
high-risk pregnancies and babies born sick or premature.