Caring for a child with a health condition resulting in time away from school can be a challenging time for families and carers, and one that is difficult to navigate.
MCHS teachers provide learning opportunities with the aim to maintain a connection to a young person’s regular educational setting. With guidance from the treatment team, teachers will provide one-to-one, group or bedside learning support for young people who are admitted into hospital. For young people who are outpatients, Monash Children’s Hospital School may have an educational consultancy role to play if referred by the young person’s medical/health treating team. The role of MCHS staff is varied and may include: teaching, liaising and advocating.
Under the Department of Education Parent Payments Policy, Victorian Government schools are required to provide transparent information to their school community on voluntary parent contributions. Monash Children’s Hospital School does not request any payments or contributions, and all services are provided at no cost to parents/carers.
Parents and Carers - What makes your child eligible?
Inpatient Stays in Medical Wards (inclusive of Children’s Cancer Centre and Day Surgery ward)
Inpatient admissions are reviewed each morning and criteria is considered, which includes but is not limited to the following:
anticipated number of inpatient days
anticipated number of days away from regular school
stage of education (eg. Foundation - Year 12)
health condition
family and community support
additional needs
If a child meets the criteria to be included in the MCHS education program, they will meet a member of our team who will guide the child through the consent process and outline the role of MCHS.
Once this process is completed, an MCHS teacher will be allocated to the child. This teacher will then act as a communication link between the family and the young person’s regular education setting.
Inpatient Stays in Oasis and Stepping Stones (ELMHS)
Planned admissions MCHS educators prepare for planned admissions by contacting a young person’s education provider prior to them coming to the hospital. Speaking with the child’s school allows MCHS to prepare a strength based learning experience catering to their interests and individual needs. Parental/guardian/kin consent is required.
Crisis admissions We take guidance from the ELMHS teams as to when young people are ready to work with our educators. Regular education providers can be contacted to learn how the child learns best, any gaps in their learning needing to be filled and to prepare them to return to school as smoothly as possible when the time comes. Parental/guardian/kin consent is required.
Outpatients
MCHS may provide educational support for young people who are outpatients of Monash Children’s Hospital and/or Early in Life Mental Health Services. Referrals are made to MCHS by the medical/health treating team. The MCHS teachers in this area act as educational consultants. Parental/guardian/kin consent is required.
Outreach
We provide a mixture of liaising, teaching and advocacy services to young people in the following ELMHS programs: Wellness and Recovery Centre (day program for young people with an eating disorder) and CORE -Re-connect program. Parental/guardian/kin consent is required.
Information about enrolment at Victorian Government schools can be found on the Find my School website. Every student has the right to attend their designated neighbourhood Government school.
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Monash Children’s Hospital School acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung peoples, and we pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future.
Monash Children’s Hospital has been caring for children for more than 100 years. It is one of Australia’s leading children’s hospitals and is part of Monash Health – Victoria’s largest public health service. Monash Children’s Hospital is a brand new dedicated children’s hospital located in Clayton, and has satellite sites at Casey Hospital and Dandenong Hospital.
