In Western Australia's Great Southern, small rural schools are more than places of learning. They are gathering points for families and neighbours, where the community comes together.

‍Karen Grundy noticed something at drop-off time. Among the school families, there was a group missing a place to connect: toddlers, not yet school-aged, "peeking shyly from behind their mums' legs," she says.

Karen is a YouthCARE Chaplain serving families at South Stirling Primary School and Manypeaks Primary School, both about 70 kilometres from Albany. In a region where distance can make connection difficult, she had seen how much the schools meant to families. But she could also see that many mums were experiencing isolation on their farms, disconnected from mothers' groups by the sheer distance involved.‍

So, Karen started a playgroup.‍

Working with Playgroup WA, who supported the initiative with resources and helped with registration, Karen opened up the school's grounds, play equipment, and kindy space to the wider community. Friends, family, and school staff spread the word. Today, ten families attend every week to connect, grow, and play together.

"Karen [does] the most amazing job each week engaging and interacting with the children," says Leisa, a playgroup mum. She says Karen's planned activities give parents time to chat and build friendships.

Elsa, another playgroup mum, says the group "feels like a big family."‍

Beyond the weekly activities, Karen offers something harder to schedule. She has become, in her own words, "a sounding board for mums concerned about their children," connecting families with child health nurses, GPs, and school staff. She has been present through loneliness, grief, mental health challenges, and domestic violence, linking families to services in Albany.

For Leisa, who has since moved away from South Stirling, the playgroup was something she didn't know she needed until she had it.

"These sessions weren't just a playgroup to many of us, but a support network. Karen is a large reason for that... Playgroup was our safety net in so many ways, and I'm beyond grateful," she says.

Every South Stirling family with a young child either knows about the playgroup or attends. That means families are building connections long before their children begin school.

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"Karen does a sensational job welcoming families... It makes the move from playgroup to kindy easy," says South Stirling Primary School Principal Robert Wright.