Family Resource Centre opens at Royal Children’s Hospital

Families visiting Royal Children’s Hospital now have a brand new space to call their own. The hospital’s new Family Resource Centre was officially opened by Minister for Health The Hon Bronwyn Pike MP on Wednesday 18th June.

The centre is a bright comfortable and inviting space where parents can share lunch with family and friends, attend to the needs of their children, or just sit and rest for awhile.

Families with children staying in hospital use the FRC to escape from the ward. They can attend to business or personal needs in the FRC business centre or simply relax with other siblings and family members.

Many families arrange to have several outpatient appointments on one day to avoid repeated visits to the hospital. This means they spend a long and tiring day at the hospital so the FRC is a welcome refuge for them. They are also able to store bags and belongings safely rather than carry them round the hospital.

This new facility will benefit thousands of families who come to the hospital each year to visit children or to attend outpatient appointments. Last year 30,997 children were admitted to RCH and 273,053 outpatient appointments were made.

Some of the facilities provided in the FRC include

A spacious lounge area for relaxing
A multi-purpose meeting room
A resource room containing health related videos, books and brochures
A business centre with inter-net, email, photocopying and fax facilities
A kitchen for families to prepare light snacks
A dining area with an adjacent play room
An outdoor balcony for relaxing or escaping
Private cubicles where parents can attend to children’s needs
Secure lockers for storing personal belongings during the day

The Centre is open from 9am till 5pm weekdays and hospital staff and volunteers are on hand to assist families with information or other requirements.

Three fundraising groups joined together to provide $270,000 to establish the FRC: Uncle Bobs Club which has supported the hospital for many years, Bluey Day, the police and emergency services annual fundraiser, and The Leukaemia Foundation.

The centre was planned and designed in consultation with consumers such as the Association for Children with A Disability, the Chronic Illness Alliance and the Islamic Community who are represented on the hospital’s Community Advisory Committee.

Please contact Julie Webber Public Affairs Manager RCH – 9345 5130 or 0407 327 418.