School and kindergarten can help you access extra support if your child has a health condition. Talk to your teachers and the principal of your enrolled education setting about how to access these support services. For more information regarding complex medical care supports available, please consult the Department of Education and Training website.

Student Support Services

Student Support Services (SSS) teams are comprised of  professionals who work in Government schools to offer additional services to students who need them. SSS staff could include:

• psychologists and counsellors 
  
• speech pathologists
  
• social workers
• other health professionals.

SSS staff work as part of integrated health and wellbeing team within each area to provide the following supports:

• workforce capability building for school staff
• individual and group based support
• the provision of specialised services.

For further information regarding the SSS, please visit the DET website.

Wellbeing staff 

Every school has a team of teachers and other professionals who attend to student wellbeing. These staff members can help you with things like peer relationships, bullying, attendance, stress and anxiety. It is worth making contact with your wellbeing team so they can ensure your child's wellbeing is monitored and supported, particularly while they are unwell.

Kindergarten services 

Inclusive practice 

Inclusive kindergarten programs make sure that all children can participate, learn and develop in an environment that supports their individual strengths and interests. 

There are a wide variety of resources available to kindergartens to support in the planning of an inclusive program. These may include: early childhood teachers, early childhood intervention professionals, local government community services, preschool field officers and the child's family and/or carers.

Medical management plan

If your child has a diagnosed medical condition, the kindergarten or early learning service will ask you to provide a medical management plan. You should ask your medical team or GP to help develop this plan and it should include details such as the diagnosis, symptoms, medications and how to respond if your child becomes unwell. The medical management plan must communicated to all staff and will be followed in the event of an incident relating to your child's medical condition. 

Risk minimisation plan and communications plan

Kindergartens and early learning centres must develop a risk minimisation plan to ensure that all staff at the kindergarten or early learning centre are familiar with your child and their medical condition. They will also use the Medical Management plan to assess and minimise any risks related to your child's condition. Staff should consult with parents and carers when developing a risk management plan and provide you with a copy.

A communications plan will explain the process for sharing information about your child's medical condition and ensure that all relevant staff at the kindergarten or early learning centre are informed. 

Read through the Meeting Children's Health Needs Fact Sheet for more information about managing medical conditions in a kindergarten or early years setting. 

Learning plans 

Schools can develop a range of individual plans to support your child's learning when they are unwell or away from school. These plans should respond to a student's individual strengths and needs while allowing opportunities for growth and success. 

The plan should also include reasonable adjustments or modifications that the school intends to put in place.

The plan should be developed in consultation with the student, their parents or carers, their teachers and any other professionals involved in their care and education.

Ask your child's educators to put in place one of the following plans if your child is unwell and struggling to keep up in the classroom: 

• Individual Education Plan/Modified Learning Plan/Personal Learning Plan
• Student Absence Learning Plan
• Return to School Plan

It is important to review the learning plan regularly and make adjustments as necessary. 

Visiting Teachers 

Visiting Teachers provide additional educational assistance, advice and support to school-aged children and young people, parents, teaching staff and school communities. Visiting Teachers work with students who have: 

• a chronic health condition and/or physical disability 
• a vision impairment
• a hearing impairment.

State Schools' Relief and financial help 

If you are struggling to meet the costs of school uniforms, shoes and books you may be able to receive these for free or at a discount through State Schools’ Relief. Families with children in government schools may be eligible for this funding, if they are facing serious financial difficulty as a result of a health condition. Schools must apply for this funding on your behalf so speak to your principal or wellbeing team if you think you may be eligible. 

If your child attends a private fee-paying school and is likely to be away for more than a semester due to illness you may be able to negotiate discounted fees until your child returns. Speak to the principal or finance officer at your school to discuss your options.