If you’re supporting a trans, gender diverse or non-binary child, the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH) Conference held recently in Nipaluna/Hobart brought some encouraging and important news about the future of care in Australia.
The AusPATH Conference is Australia’s largest professional conference focused on trans and gender diverse health. It brings together doctors, psychologists, researchers, peer workers and community organisations working to improve healthcare, mental health support and community services for trans and gender diverse people, including young people and their families.
This year’s theme, Pathways to Equity: Transforming Gender-Affirming Care in Australia, focused on how to make care more accessible, safer and more consistent across the country. That includes medical support, counselling, family support, and help navigating schools and systems — the kinds of services many parents are trying to access right now.
Why this matters
For many families, the biggest questions are practical:
- Will it get easier to access care for my child?
- Will wait times improve?
- Who is supporting families like mine, right now?
A strong focus of the conference was identifying the gaps families are experiencing and how services can respond better. While change can feel slow, there was genuine commitment from health professionals and services to reduce barriers, improve coordination, and build stronger family-centred models of care across Australia.
What we learned about supporting dads and parenting together
One of the most powerful sessions for parents was led by Don Pitcher (University of Tromsø), who explored the unique challenges many fathers experience when their child is trans or gender diverse.
His work highlighted that some dads:
- Feel pressure to “be strong” rather than express fear or grief
- Struggle with social expectations about masculinity
- Feel isolated, unsure where to speak honestly about their experience
Importantly, the session also shared what helps:
- Connecting with other parents, especially other fathers
- Having safe, non-judgemental spaces to ask questions
- Learning together as a family, rather than feeling they have to “get it right” immediately
For many parents in the room, this was a relief. A reminder that it’s okay to feel unsure, and that support for dads is growing. Our team left this session strongly committed to developing more dad-specific support spaces and resources in the future, so keep an eye out for these in 2026.
Understanding puberty blockers
A session hosted by Dr Cate Reyner (Royal Children’s Hospital) focused on reversible pubertal suppression — more commonly known as puberty blockers.
Puberty blockers are a temporary medical treatment that pause the physical changes of puberty. This can give a young person time to explore their identity without the distress of unwanted physical changes.
One young person bravely shared their story of starting puberty blockers, and described how the support of their mum and healthcare team was life-saving.
Dr Reyner explained it simply:
The full benefit of puberty blockers isn’t just what happens now, it’s what young people don’t have to experience later. When young people are spared the distress of an unwanted puberty, they’re less likely to need medical interventions or surgeries later in life.
In other words, this care is about protecting long-term wellbeing, not just short-term comfort.
A strong message about care and caution
The opening session by Dr Cal Horton (Oxford Brookes University) explored what has happened in the UK, where access to care for trans young people has become more restricted.
The key message for Australian families was clear:
We must protect access to safe, evidence-based healthcare here, and avoid creating fear-driven systems that make it harder for families to get help.
What this means for your family
While systems are different in every state, the overall direction shared at the conference was hopeful:
- There is acute awareness of long wait times and pressure on services
- More doctors and mental health professionals are seeking specialist training and support to provide trans affirming care
- Family-centred care models are becoming a stronger focus
Change takes time, but the momentum is real.
Where you can find support now
If you’re supporting a trans or gender diverse child right now, you don’t have to do it alone.
You can:
- Connect with peer support organisations like Transcend Australia
- Look for parent peer groups and counselling services in your state
- Reach out to other parents who understand what you’re going through
You deserve support as much as your child does.
We left the conference feeling hopeful. Not because the work is finished, but because so many health professionals, researchers and families are committed to building a system that is safer, kinder and more responsive. We’re looking forward to continuing to support families and walking alongside you as systems improve.
