Parent and carer support

Support for carers

Carers can be different types of people

A carer is anyone who provides ongoing assistance to a family member or friend who requires help due to disability, chronic illness, mental illness or frail age.

Usually a child’s carer is their parent but for some children this could be grandparents, aunts and uncles, foster carers or siblings.

About our Carer Support Program

Our Carer Support Program aims to make the hospital a better place for carers. We do this by providing:

  • the parent and carer resource centres
  • carer support volunteers who can see you at your child’s bedside, keep you company and bring information
  • improvement to hospital services to make it more comfortable and accessible to carers
  • hospital policies and procedures that consider carers’ needs.

Spaces for parents and carers

Quiet lounge room with sofas, cushions, a bookshelf filled with books, and soft lighting.
Parent and Carer Resource Centres
Our Resource Centres have been designed by parents for parents. They provide a relaxing and homely environment where parents and carers can take a break.
Hospital volunteer standing in front of a display board with red heart shapes and the word “VOLUNTEERS” at the top, with supplies on a table nearby.
Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms
These are quiet rooms where you can find respite for you and your family while visiting one of our hospitals.

See also

Close-up of an adult gently holding a child’s hand, with the child wearing a patterned shirt.
Support services at our hospitals
Learn about our full range of support services, including translators, Aboriginal Health Workers and volunteers.
A mother appears stressed as she sits at her computer with her infant on her lap.
Looking after yourself factsheet
Learn how you can support your child with illness or disability while also looking after your own wellbeing.
Photo of adolescent boy sitting on a couch talking to an adult. The boy has his hand together and is looking down in thought.
Understanding parent and carer wellbeing
Understanding and navigating your own mental health as a parent will help set you and your family up for success.
Photo of a father holding and lovingly looking at a baby girl. The baby faces the father and is looking towards the camera and smiling.
Parent and carer education
Take a look at our education programs, designed to help you understand and manage a range of health conditions.
Person and child pack a suitcase on a bed, folding clothes and socks with a toiletry bag and a teddy bear inside.
Accommodation for parents and carers
Learn about options for accomodation in Randwick and Westmead, including support and subsidies.
Adult leaning over a hospital bed to kiss a child on the forehead, with the child lying under a white blanket in a bright room.
Staying overnight in your child's room
Our inpatient facilities enable a parent or carer to stay overnight at their child’s bedside throughout their hospital stay.