Bereavement Services

The Bereavement Services co-ordinator is responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of policy, guidelines and resources to promote best practice in bereavement care. This includes: Provision of education and training for staff Consultation with bereaved families, Strengthening links with bereavement support services, Continuous quality improvement activities, RCH Foundation Funeral Assistance Fund.

The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation has provided funding to assist bereaved families with the cost of their child's funeral. The Funeral Assistance Fund is administered by the Social Work Department, but can be offered to families by After-Hours Coordinators, Associate Unit Managers, Wadja Case Managers and Social Workers. The Fund is available to families who experience financial difficulties when their child:

• dies at RCH
• dies at home or at Very Special Kids and the family was receiving support from the Victorian Palliative Care Program
• dies at home, but was a patient of the RCH and a Social Worker has found the family to be experiencing financial difficulty.

Specific exclusions include families who will receive funding through the Children's Cancer Centre (all patients), and families who will receive funding from TAC. Further information, including Fund Application Form is available on the following links: RCH Foundation's Funeral Assistance Fund Guidelines RCH Foundation's Funeral Fund Application Funeral Director Letter.