About Us

Welcome

Playgroup Queensland is one of Australia's largest and most progressive charities supporting families with young children. As the peak body for playgroups throughout Queensland with a vision and mission to support families with children under school age, Playgroup Queensland offers a diverse suite of services including playgroup, parenting and therapy activities, early intervention and care programs.

Playgroup Queensland is one of the State's largest providers of services to families with over 1300 community playgroups registered supporting in excess of 18,000 families and 26,000 children under 5 years. As a state wide service, programs and activities are held in metropolitan, regional, rural and isolated Queensland with approximately 1.25 million individual attendances each year. With 3123 registered volunteers supporting the organisation and 56 professional staff based in Queensland's State Office and in several regional offices aswell as program staff located in New South Wales and Victoria.

As the only Playgroup Association in Australia to be registered as a charitable institution and the first to be granted tax deductibility for donations, Playgroup Queensland is active in a range of state and national programs to assist vulnerable families and families living in crisis. Playgroup Queensland's Sing and Grow Music Therapy Program is now delivered in over 120 communities nationally and supports disadvantaged parents and families.

Playgroup Queensland is funded by both the Australian Government and Queensland Government, however a majority of funds are raised locally through corporate giving, donations and fundraising activities. Families attending community playgroups also pay a small annual membership fee to offset costs.

Our Mission

Excellence at Play

Our Vision

Our vision is for families with young children to have a quality and enriching play experience

Playgroup Charter

The Playgroup Charter is the quality assurance framework for Playgroup and member families. Playgroup Queensland is committed to continuously improving the Playgroup experience for both parents and children.

As Playgroup members we:

Value Play and Have Fun
Respect and Value Difference
Participate and Share
Feel Safe and Secure
Encourage not Discourage

Meet the Playgroup Queensland Board of Management

Playgroup Queensland 30 year timeline

The Playgroup Association of Queensland Inc., now named Playgroup Queensland, was established by volunteers in 1973 following a recognised need to better co-ordinate a number of informal Playgroups that had been established. The Association commenced with 12 Playgroups in Brisbane and 2 in Cairns and has since grown to be one of the State’s largest early childhood organisations.

Primarily funded by membership subscriptions in 1975, the Association in 1980 received recurrent government funding and began with one staff member.

Today, Playgroup Queensland is a well managed not-for-profit community organisation with a diverse range of services including Playgroups, early intervention programs and community education activities. The Association’s work with communities was acknowledged by the Prime Minister in 2003 when he granted Playgroup Queensland deductible gift status allowing donations of $2.00 or more to be tax deductible.

With a staff of 22 full time and part time professionals working from a State Office and five regional offices, the Association now supports over 2650 registered volunteers who give 87,000 voluntary hours each year.

1973	Playgroup Association held its Inaugural Meeting
1974	1st Annual General Meeting held Playgroup the official journal of the Association is produced in October Constitution approved by Department of Justice Association registered with the Register of Charities
1975	Playgroups commence affiliating with the Association Affiliation fees $5.00 per group with more than 10 mothers and $2.50 for less than 10 mothers Zones were established (7 metropolitan and 13 country) Volunteer Zone Coordinators were recruited $5000 grant received from Commonwealth Government to establish Office
1976	Inaugural State Conference held in conjunction with AGM Products commence being sold by Association
1977	State wide Art Union (netting $5000 profit) begins Office of Child Care held a meeting to appoint the Association’s first Development Officers Affiliation fees $7.50 per Playgroup Playgroup Association of Queensland registers business name “Playgroup”
1978	Part time Secretary appointed to staff State Office ‘Playgroup Starter Boxes’ created to assist country Playgroups with financial assistance from Mt Isa Mines
1979	Queensland coordinated and hosted 1st National Playgroup Convention with 2 delegates from each State / Territory attending
1983	Playgroup Association celebrates 10th Anniversary
1984	Office relocates to Milton Road, Auchenflower Part time Book keeper is employed
1985	First Playgroup Video is produced Certification of Incorporation granted by Office of Fair Trading
1987	985 Playgroups affiliate Playgroup Shop opens and begins selling a variety of arts and crafts materials Three Playgroup Development Officers employed in Cairns, Brisbane and Rockhampton Association buys its first photocopier and first computer
1988	Association celebrates its 15th Anniversary Playgroup Party Week in November begins
1991	National Playgroup Day is first celebrated
1992	Playtimes is launched to replace Playgroup journal Playgroup Awareness Week is introduced throughout Australia Playgroup Council of Australia gains a National Office in Canberra Association appoints its first Executive Officer, Denise McMurtrie
1993	Playgroup Association celebrates its 20th Anniversary The Wiggles first tour Queensland with tickets costing $5.00
1994	Six Development Officers are appointed
1997	Concession Membership for Health Care Card Holders is introduced
1998	Playgroup Association celebrates its 25th Anniversary Regional 1300 telephone service introduced
2001	Playgroup Queensland Inc is adopted as trading name Office relocates to new premises at McDougall Street, Milton Sing and Grow Music Therapy Program commences New Chief Executive Officer Mark Brooke employed
2002	New corporate branding introduced Playgroup Charter Quality Assurance Framework completed Review of Board completed and new Corporate Governance Policy introduced Playgroup Australia Website goes live
2003	Member borrowing at Toy Libraries is commenced New Playgroup Resource Kit and Playgroup Activity Cards are introduced Playtimes on Line our e newsletter is introduced
2004	Playing for Keeps fundraising appeal launched in May to coincide with Playgroup Month All Development Officers provided with a company motor vehicle sponsored by Gambling Community Benefit Fund Gambling Community Benefit Fund provides $1million in funding since its inception Prime Minister announces tax deductible status for Playgroup Queensland for donations of $2 or more Minister for Children and Young People, Larry Anthony, announces an $11.6 million national funding package for Playgroup services
2005	Sing and Grow Program if funded to become a National Program $200,000 fundraised to build a new State Office Playgroup affiliations top 1320 sessions Playgroup State Conference opened up to all Playgroups including rural and remote groups for the first time National Review of Playgroup Associations undertaken by independent group on behalf of the Australian Government
2006	Supported Playgroups funded as a Playgroup Australia project to support vulnerable families Playgroup Queensland purchases and relocates to the Queensland Playgroup Centre - the achievement of a 30 year goal Playgroup launches for the first time 'web site' referrals for families seeking a playgroup referral 'Playtimes' our Playgroup journal is redesigned and formated and direct mailed to each members' home greatly enhancing member to Association communication Cairns South Mobile Supported Playgroup activity is funded by Mission Australia as part of the Australian Government's Communities for Children Program Her Excellency Quentin Bryce AC, Governor of Queensland and the Association's Patron opens the 2006 Playgroup Conference
2007	Playgroup 2010 Strategic Plan was launched The inaugural Early Intervention Through Playgroup Conference was held Queensland Dept of Communities funds the Accessible Playgroup Initiative, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Playgroup Resource Unit and the Redland Bayside Parenting Hub In partnership with Parent Research Centre - 3 MyTime Groups are commenced Queensland Government grants the Association exemption from Stamp Duty Playgroup Queensland announced as Charitable Institution by Australia Tax Office Minister for Families and Communities the Hon. Mal Brough officially opens the Queensland Playgroup Centre
2008	Playgroup Queensland joins forces with Playgroup NSW to jointly publish Totline - our combined parenting and playgroup quarterly magazine Playgroup Plus - Teacher Led Playgroups are introduced and expanded throughout Queensland Playgroup Children's Foundation is formally established as the fundraising and development arm of the organisation with a Director employed The Foundation holds our first Making Children Smile Corporate Dinner which is a sell out The former Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce AC officially launches the 'Making Music Time a Success' Resource Book National Playgroup Week held in Parliament House and 17 other locations around Queensland Playgroup Queensland appointed as the auspice group for HIPPY Riverview - Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters MyTime Program expands in Queensland to 19 communities PlayConnect Playgroups for parents with child/ren with autism spectrum disorder commences Redland and Bayside Family Support Hub is officially opened by Minister for Communities, The Hon. Lindy Nelson-Carr
2009	Mr Phillip Marriott is appointed Chairperson of the Board - the first male to hold this position in the history of the Association The second Early Intervention through Playgroup Conference is held with over 150 delegates The Association employs a Manager Policy and Research to strengthen our evidence base Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Playgroup Resources are developed in partnership with Playgroup NSW PlayLink, our new management information system is developed and operational again in partnership with Playgroup NSW The Father's Day Pram Stroll and Picnic is held at over 12 locations throughout Queensland Woorabinda Locational Supported Playgroup funded by the Australian Government Playgroup Centres open at Karalee and Labrador whilst new Resource Centres open in Townsville and Mt Isa Townsville Regional Office is opened by Mayor of Townsville Our first Church Playgroup Seminar is held Cairns Mobile Supported Playgroup concludes and a new project 'Playgroup as Hubs' continues in it's place Mark Brooke resigns as CEO to take up a new role at Asthma Queensland