Parents of Deaf Children (PODC) is a volunteer-led, parent-driven organisation that supports families raising Deaf/deaf children to understand access, build confidence, and create meaningful pathways for their child.

We are not a service provider.
We are the place families come when systems don’t make sense.

Every week, families reach out to PODC navigating early diagnosis, school access, communication decisions, NDIS plans, and complex service systems. These experiences are layered, time-critical, and often overwhelming.

PODC provides independent, practical support grounded in lived experience-helping families understand what access looks like, what their child needs to participate, and how to move forward with clarity.

Our work focuses on:

• Real-world guidance across early intervention, education, and disability systems

• Capacity building, through initiatives like Breaking Through Barriers, equipping families with tools they can actually use

• Accessible resources that translate policy into practical action

• Connection, reducing isolation and strengthening family and community networks

• Systemic advocacy, ensuring family experiences inform policy and reform

We see the gaps clearly-because families bring them to us every day.

Right now, families are losing access to supports and are being left to navigate increasingly complex systems on their own.

When this happens, they don’t just need information-they need someone to walk alongside them, help them make sense of what’s happening, and ensure their child’s access is not overlooked.

That is the role PODC plays.

As a small, volunteer-led organisation, we are already supporting hundreds of families each year—but demand continues to grow, and the gap is widening.

Your support will help us continue to be there when families need it most—providing guidance, building confidence, and ensuring Deaf/deaf children have access to the environments, communication, and opportunities that allow them to thrive.