Very special kids

Victoria’s most critically unwell children and their families will have improved access to quality respite care thanks to a funding boost for the Very Special Kids organisation.

Very Special Kids is a unique Victorian organisation that supports families throughout their experience of caring for children with life-threatening illnesses, including cancer, muscular dystrophy and a range of neuro-degenerative, genetic and rare conditions.

Additional funding will assist Very Special Kids deliver bed-based respite and palliative care. It will include a project to understand how the services could be extended in the future, especially to meet the needs of children and families in rural areas.

Focusing on the quality of life for the whole family, Very Special Kids provides practical and emotional support for the child, the parents and other family members, through a team of highly professional staff and a network of fully trained volunteers. They also provide care to families, helping children remain at home longer, avoiding hospitalisation due to carer stress and exhaustion.

Very Special Kids House is also one of the few overnight respite facilities in Victoria that has Division 1 Nurses on staff every shift and is the only non-hospital based facility in Victoria that provides end-of-life care for children and support for their families.

Very Special Kids is currently supporting more than 850 families and all services are free of charge to families.

For more information

The find out more about Very Special Kids and the services they provide, visit the Very Special Kids website.