Your strongest asset: your support team

The journey through early intervention for a child with developmental needs or disabilities is often intensive and demanding, requiring immense effort from parents. Recognising that "Parents like us, we can't do it alone" is the first step toward building resilience and ensuring your family thrives. Research strongly confirms that your "support team" — your circle of social support — is your strongest asset in this process, helping to mitigate stress, improve your mental health, and enhance overall family life.

Why support is essential to family well-being?

Family social support — the help, advice, and care you receive or feel you can rely on from family and friends — gives parents and caregivers the time and emotional strength they need to care for their child well.

Having dependable support leads to many positive outcomes for you and your family:

• Less stress and better health Support from others is linked to lower levels of stress and depression, and to better emotional well-being. For parents of children with developmental delays, having strong social support often means feeling less stressed.
• Better family quality of life Families with good support tend to enjoy a better quality of life and develop more positive caregiving habits.
• Lasting benefits Support received during early intervention years can continue to make a difference later on, helping parents manage challenges and stress over time.

Understanding your support team: informal vs. formal?

1. Informal support

This includes your spouse or partner, relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and parent groups. Research shows that your circle of family and friends — your informal network — is one of your strongest supports for emotional and mental well-being.

• Main sources of support Your partner is often your biggest source of emotional support. Grandparents also play an important role, offering emotional comfort, practical help, and guidance in raising the child.
• Flexibility and understanding Parents often prefer informal support because it feels more personal and flexible. Family or friends can offer emotional comfort, help with babysitting, or step in when needed — which can be easier to manage than scheduled professional services.

2. Formal support

This consists of professionals like specialised educators, therapists, physicians, social workers, and various governmental and non-governmental programs and agencies. Formal support from professionals is very important, especially for families dealing with significant or complex needs.

• Complex care needs When families face unique and challenging situations, professional support helps fill the gaps that family or friends may not be able to cover.
• Specialised guidance Professionals can offer help and advice about parenting, child development, and therapies that are specific to the child's needs.
• Reduced stress For grandmothers raising their grandchildren — especially those with health concerns — formal support such as health care, legal aid, or social services can lower stress and improve quality of life.

Strategies to strengthen your support team?

• Seek diversity in sources for emotional support Having support from different people — like family, friends, and professionals — helps parents feel that they have enough emotional support and guidance in raising their child. Professionals, such as early interventionists, can also help families build stronger support networks when they don't have enough support around them.
• Focus on parenting support Support that gives parents advice or hands-on help in caring for their child can really make a difference. Parents who receive this kind of "parenting support" often feel less stressed — both about their child and about themselves. It can also help mothers feel more confident and more connected to their child.
• Encourage partner involvement When fathers feel more accepting of their child and believe they have enough support from others, they tend to get more involved in caring for the child. As a result, mothers may step back a little, giving them a chance to share responsibilities more equally. This "crossover effect" helps mothers have more flexibility in their roles and daily routine.

How these research findings support Tiggie Kids?

Research shows that effective early intervention works best when it supports the whole family, not just the child. It also points out important gaps in how support is often given — families need help that is practical, high-quality, and not overwhelming.

The final challenge: 3 steps to thriving?

The research is clear: raising a child in early intervention can be challenging — and you don't have to do it alone. Your biggest strength is having a solid support team. But not all help is equally useful. What matters most is finding the right kind of support.

1. Activate your village

   Reach out and define your circle of support — your partner, family, and friends. This informal support network is one of the strongest predictors of your emotional health and overall well-being in the long run.
2. Ask for the right kind of help

   Look for support that gives you specific, practical parenting advice and assistance tailored to your child's needs. This kind of "parenting support" is proven to lower stress over time. Emotional encouragement is great — but pair it with hands-on, useful strategies that make a real difference day to day.
3. Build your confidence through active learning

   Choose resources that let you learn by seeing, trying, and practising — rather than just reading or listening to lots of information. Active, practical learning strengthens your confidence and is linked to better outcomes for both you and your child.