A new support group has opened in the New England region for local parents of twins to connect through Facebook.
New England Twin Parents | Regional NSW is a Facebook support group created by local residents Star Shing-Kelly and Tash Cunningham, made with the intention of offering support and a collaborative network for parents raising twins.
Being a new parent of twin children herself, Star Shing-Kelly knows the challenges and delights that come with being in this unique position, and says that meeting two fellow parents of twins motivated her to start the support group.
“While I was pregnant, I met two other twin mums, Jessie and Susan. They were incredibly kind, honest and helpful as I prepared for the journey I was about to enter,” said Mrs Shing-Kelly.
“I recently had twin boys and, while I was pregnant, discovered that there had once been a twin club in the area many years ago, but it was no longer active. So, one early morning during a feed, I decided to create the New England Twin Parents Regional NSW Facebook group.”
Mrs Shing-Kelly says that being in this position has equipped her with a range of tools that she says have allowed her to help connect other parents in the area.
“Becoming a twin parent has taught me so much, and I feel like I’ve learnt new things at double the speed and in half the time,” she said.
“It has also given me a deeper sense of compassion, kindness and understanding for other parents and their individual experiences. Everyone’s journey looks a little different, and there is no one right way to do it.”
As of 2024, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that approximately 4,191 or 1.5% of recorded pregnancies in Australia were reported as resulting in multiple births. 4,129 of these were twin births, and only 62 were triplets or more.
Boasting members from places like Tamworth, Gunnedah and even beyond the New England like Toowoomba, Mrs Shing Kelly says that expanding the available sources of information for parents is part of the process of making Armidale and its surrounding towns and cities a more accommodating place for them.
“I’d love to see information about support for twin and multiple families made more visible across the surrounding LGAs, whether that’s through flyers, local health services, community centres, libraries or other places families already access,” she said.
“I think the biggest opportunity is to look at the New England as a collection of communities, rather than expecting families to come to one central location.”
Tash Cunningham, co-founder of the support group and fellow parent, says that the value found in their connections as parents helps with the isolation that comes with raising kids in the New England region.
“It’s isolating. That’s actually how the group started – I put a post on the Guyra page asking for a village because I was struggling, surrounded by Singleton mums that couldn’t understand, and Star reached out.”
When asked about the future of the group and what possible next opportunities they could pursue, Mrs Cunningham says expanding the group to new areas outside of the New England could mean more support for parents in the same position she found herself in:
“I hope we can continue to expand and spread the word. There’s lots of towns in the New England, and I’d love for new (or not so) multiple parents to have a network of people they can lean on when it’s tough,” she said.
“What started as a simple idea to connect with other parents has now grown into a community of 23 mothers and fathers of twins or multiples of all ages, and the group continues to grow each week.”
Currently, the support group exists mainly as a Facebook forum where parents can interact and connect online, but Mrs Cunningham says that they look forward to expanding into more in-person events.
“We’ve got some big ideas – regular meetings, play groups as our babies grow, pot luck style gatherings or homemakers swaps,” she said.
It’s a timely reminder for families that support is out there, as the Australian Multiple Birth Association is also prepping to host the 2026 AMBA National Convention in Sydney from the 23rd – 25th of October. Now is a great time to start getting involved, whether by joining the support group or spreading awareness in other ways.
Parents interested in joining the group can do so by simply joining the free ‘New England Twin Parents’ page on Facebook.
“Find us on Facebook! We’re planning on letting the Maternity Ward in all the New England hospitals know we exist so we can get the word out,” said Mrs Cunningham.
She says that she hopes as the group evolves, they can reach more people lucky enough to be in the same position as herself.
“Currently we’re only a fledgling group and at this stage, pretty well a Mums group for those of us so lucky to have multiples. There’s obviously a lot of shared experiences you just don’t have with Singleton parents, for example, and there’s camaraderie in that,” said Mrs Cunningham.
“There is so much knowledge within the twin and multiples community itself, and I think there is an opportunity to bring that knowledge together and make it easier for families across the region to access.”
Something going on in your part of the New England people should know about? Let us know by emailing newsdesk@netimes.com.au