Virtual playgroups: supporting children and mothers at the Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre

Abstract

This commentary describes how SHINE for Kids, a non-profit organisation that supports families affected by the justice system in Australia, adapted one of their programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, the organization facilitated a playgroup called Stay Together, Play Together, which enabled mothers in custody at the Townsville Women's Correctional Centre (TWCC) to interact with their children aged 0-5 in a child-focused space. However, when in-person visits were no longer possible due to the pandemic, the organization created the Virtual Playgroup, a playgroup-like experience facilitated through audiovisual link visits (AVL, video visits). The mother would be seated in the AVL visits room at a table, supervised by a corrections staff member, while the child/children would be located at the organisation's offices in Townsville. Both parties were provided with the same activities and resources to work through together via video. The commentary discusses how the Virtual Playgroup was initiated, how it worked in practice, and the benefits it offered as well as the potential of technology to expand access to quality, child-focused time between incarcerated parents and their children. © 2023 Sydney Institute of Criminology.