Stacey Toomer
Stacey Touma (misrendered "Toomer" in episode credits) is the founding CEO of Belongside Families, a NSW not-for-profit supporting families raising children with disability, developmental delay or medical needs, and a guest on the GeneEQUAL "Growing Stronger Together" podcast.
3
APPEARANCES
1
PODCASTS
Oct 7, 2026
Stacey ToomerGUEST
What we also put together, which was really helpful, and we do this all the time for new teachers, and we've moved a few times and been to different schools.
Stacey ToomerGUEST
We put together that one-page profile that communicates our child's strengths, needs, interests.
Stacey ToomerGUEST
We also put together a profile that is more detailed, and it actually covers how we speak about disability, and this was really important for our family.
Emma PalmerHOST
What could a family coming to Belongside Families in a f- crisis get? If they were really at a rock bottom, what, what do you think they could come away with from connecting with Belongside Families?
Emma PalmerHOST
Can you almost frame what would a family get or potentially get? or even just think through an individual family maybe recently that's connected with Belongside and how that was helpful or changing for them.
Stacey ToomerGUEST
As a parent of a child with disability myself in those early days, I don't even know if I would have seen the value of it without actually understanding what it is I'm going to get.
Stacey ToomerGUEST
And I think it is around that lived experience of not having to reinvent the wheel it is those system navigation tips.
Stacey ToomerGUEST
So I think we have families come to us that might be entering education or early learning and just not knowing where to start.
Stacey ToomerGUEST
Or they might have been told quite often, which is very common, that you'll see a pediatrician and they'll say, your child has this diagnosis.
Stacey ToomerGUEST
When I speak to families, especially when I'm in spaces where I'm sharing my lived experience, like they might see me as the CEO of Belongside Families and all of the work that we're doing to support families.
Stacey ToomerGUEST
experience interacting with people who have a genetic condition or any type of disability.
11 MINS LATER
Emma PalmerHOST
Is storytelling something you've found yourself using with Alex? Has he connected to any older people with Williams Syndrome?