We’re more than a place to stay. We keep your child’s learning on track.
We understand that illness or injury can significantly impact a child’s education, creating gaps in learning, disrupting routines, and adding extra pressures for families. Our education services ensure families stay supported with pathways that help children stay connected throughout treatment and recovery.
At Ronald McDonald House Victoria & Tasmania, we bring together three key areas: the Ronald McDonald House Learning Program, EDMed, and the Charlie Bell Scholarship. Together, these services provide vital support to students, families, and educators through a child’s transition back to school.
While you’re staying
If you’re staying at one of our Houses, we have a number of programs to support all children impacted by illness or injury (including siblings). These include:
Speak to a Ronald McDonald House staff member for more information.
Beyond your stay
Once children have returned to school, our Learning Program helps them catch up on missed education. Our services range from personalised one-on-one tutoring, to additional support services including cognitive assessments, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy.
We also support siblings of children with illnesses, helping your whole family catch up on missed classes, stay engaged in learning, and build confidence. You don’t need to have stayed at our Houses to access the Learning Program.
Planning for the return of a student who has suffered a serious physical illness or injury can present challenges for teaching staff. EDMed® is a free, two-hour professional development session. EDMed® provides a range of educational strategies and information to assist in the smooth transition and integration back to school. This module can be delivered face-to-face or in a self-paced, online learning environment.
EDMed Professional Development can be delivered face-to-face to education professionals. EDMed face-to-face is suitable for small-scale meetings, university lectures, or large-scale Professional Development events.
An illness or injury can make life stand still. Making any progress – whether in your education or your career – can feel almost impossible. That’s why the Charlie Bell Scholarship Program exists.
Students who meet the following criteria can apply under the annual Charlie Bell Scholarship program. Students must be:
Applicants do not need to have stayed at a Ronald McDonald House to be eligible to apply.
The Charlie Bell Scholarship program awards successful applicants a one-off grant of up to $5,000. The money can go towards university fees, apprenticeship tools, books or supplies.
Applications open 1 August and close 30 November each year.
To find out more about the Ronald McDonald House Charlie Bell Scholarship or to apply, click below.
The Ronald McDonald Learning Program gives teachers a chance to help seriously ill kids catch up on their missed education. Teachers are paid on an hourly basis to tutor students recovering from illness at the student’s school or local community facility. Each student receives up to 40 weeks of tutoring, usually completed for an hour each week over four school terms.
