Reaching out to professionals in your community is essential, as they are often the first point of contact for families seeking support. Toy libraries should ensure local professionals such as maternal and child health nurses, early years networks, libraries, playgroups and childcare services clearly understand what your toy library offers. Personal visits, professional flyers and confident conversations help build trusted referral pathways and strengthen community awareness.
When connecting with the disability community, a more intentional and relationship-based approach is often needed. Families may rely on trusted support services, so it is essential to clearly demonstrate accessibility, inclusion and welcome. The “Guide to connecting with the Disability Community” provides practical steps to help toy libraries build respectful partnerships and ensure more families can confidently access their services.
Building local professional awareness
A strong toy library ensures that local professionals and family services know who you are and what you offer. This includes early years networks, maternal and child health nurses, public libraries, learn-to-swim centres, playgroups, childcare services, kindergartens and community hubs. In many ways, this ties into 7.2 as how you connect with them can be so varied.
Promotion is most effective when it is targeted and personal. Visit services where possible, introduce your toy library, and provide clear, professional hard-copy flyers or brochures. A short conversation about how you support play, development, inclusion and affordability can lead to trusted referral relationships. Extend an invitation for people to come along and check out what your toy library is all about.
Inviting local professionals to attend or participate in toy library events can also create meaningful benefits for everyone involved. Families gain access to trusted information, informal conversations, and supportive guidance in a relaxed, community-focused environment. Professionals, in turn, have a valuable opportunity to connect directly with local families, better understand community needs, and raise awareness of their services.
These interactions often strengthen relationships and build familiarity between services. When events are promoted online, participating professionals may also share or engage with your posts through their own networks, helping to extend your reach and visibility within the community. This can naturally enhance cross-promotion and reinforce your toy library’s presence within the broader local service ecosystem.
For practical ideas, explore how other toy libraries have promoted their services and built partnerships. Peer examples can provide adaptable strategies and templates.
When local professionals understand your value, they become confident advocates for your toy library.
Connecting with the disability community
Engaging with the disability community often requires a more intentional, relationship-based approach than general promotion. Families frequently access services through trusted professionals and support networks, so credibility, accessibility and clear communication about inclusion are essential.
The DAIS team developed the below guide in 2025 to support toy libraries to confidently promote their services to families of children with disability and build meaningful community connections. It provides practical steps for:
Understanding the disability service landscape (including NDIS and local providers)
Approaching local disability and allied health organisations
Communicating your value clearly and inclusively
Building respectful, sustainable partnerships
Demonstrating accessibility and welcome in your messaging
This resource helps toy libraries move beyond passive promotion and actively strengthen access, inclusion and professional representation within their communities.
Updated:
5 Mar 2026