FAQs

Your donation will help fund, support and strengthen cutting-edge treatment, vital research and world-class, holistic healthcare for kids with all illnesses, injuries and conditions.

Yes, you will receive an email receipt immediately after donating to your nominated email address.

Yes, please call us on 1300 742 554 Monday to Friday 8.30 to 5pm or email [email protected].

We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. You can also use PayPal to donate.

All donations of $2 and over are tax-deductible.

Claiming a tax deduction on your gift won’t affect the amount of money received by Children’s Hospital Foundation. You will receive your return from the Australian Taxation Office.

You can read our Privacy Policy here.

Yes, we are committed to maintaining the security of the financial and personal information you entrust to us when making a donation.

Our IT systems are fully compliant with the security requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) which was founded by the major credit card brands (such as VISA, Mastercard and American Express).

In addition, when you donate online to the Foundation your card information is processed, encrypted and stored by a specialised and highly secure payment service organisation.

A once-off donation is a single donation. A regular donation is deducted from your credit card or bank account (via direct debit) once a month.

Your donation will help fund, support and strengthen cutting-edge treatment, vital research and world-class, holistic healthcare for kids with all illnesses, injuries and conditions.

You can select either the 15^th or 28^th of each month for your monthly donation to be debited on. You can change this date at any time by calling our Supporter Experience team on 1300 742 554.

If you sign up to monthly giving, you may receive a receipt now to your nominated email address and then you’ll receive a yearly tax receipt at the end of the financial year.

We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. You can also donate regularly via Direct Debit.

Please call us on 1300 742 554 Monday to Friday 8.30 to 5pm or email [email protected]

To be tax-deductible, a donation needs to be $2 or more. Donations made to Children’s Hospital Foundation Queensland are tax-deductible. Claiming a tax deduction on your gift won’t affect the amount of money received by Children’s Hospital Foundation Queensland.

By making a tax-deductible donation to Children’s Hospital Foundation Queensland you’re not only doing good but your taxable income and the amount of tax that you pay may decrease.

You will receive your return from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Please call us on 1300 742 554 Monday to Friday 8.30 to 5pm or email [email protected]

Please read our full term and conditions

If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 1300 742 554.

Please call us on 1300 742 554 Monday to Friday 8.30 to 5pm or email [email protected].

The Children’s Hospital Foundation is an equal opportunity organisation, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming volunteer experience. All applications are considered equitably and with respect. In accordance with the Disabilities Act 1992, we will assess applicants based on their ability to complete the inherent requirements of a specific position. An inherent requirement is deemed to be any activity that is essential to the role.

We recognise that volunteers bring diverse strengths, experiences and support needs. If you require adjustments to participate in volunteering, we encourage you to get in touch with our team to explore how we can support your volunteer journey, including the option of volunteering with a support person where appropriate.

Volunteers are expected to develop an understanding of, and work within, Foundation policies, procedures, and values. Given the hospital environment, all volunteers play an important role in maintaining a safe, respectful and supportive experience for children, families and staff. Given the environment we operate in, it is important for all potential volunteers to understand the serious side of our service. We have a duty of care to the children within the hospital to ensure their safety at all times, and we will not compromise on this.

If you are unsure about your ability to meet any of the below requirements, please contact our team. We are committed to working with you to identify suitable options where possible.

Conditions of volunteering

To support a safe and effective volunteering experience, our conditions include:

• Be at least 18 years of age and under 85 years old
• Provide evidence of vaccination or immunity for specified vaccine-preventable diseases, in line with hospital requirements (unless eligible for exemption)
• Interact positively and respectfully with children, families, staff and other volunteers
• Work as part of a team, while also using initiative and following direction
• Communicate effectively, in a way that supports safe and meaningful interactions
• Understand and maintain confidentiality and privacy at all times
• Build and maintain appropriate professional boundaries
• Follow policies, procedures and safety guidelines, including emergency responses
• Identify potential risks and seek support when needed
• Complete required training, assessments and onboarding requirements
• Align with and contribute to the values and culture of the Children’s Hospital Foundation
• Hold, or be willing to obtain, a valid Blue Card

We understand that everyone’s circumstances are different. If you may require additional support to meet these conditions, including volunteering with a support person, we encourage you to reach out to our team on [email protected] or  07 3606 6100.

Step One: Register Your Interest
The first step is to register your interest here.

Step Two: Registration
You will then provide further information to enable our recruitment team to get to know you, as well as your preferred volunteer role.

Step Three: Interview and References
Step three involves a brief interview and enables the opportunity to get to know you, have quick chat about the service you’ve selected, and allow you to ask any questions you may have. We also conduct reference checks on all volunteers before they start.

Step Four: Compliance 
You will then be contacted by our People and Culture team to provide the information below:

• Blue Card application
• Vaccination Evidence Form
• Statutory Declaration (Working with Children)
• Hand Hygiene (online training)
• Queensland Children’s Hospital Site Induction (online training)
• Volunteer Agreement and Policies

Step Five: Ready to Start

The process can take four to six weeks. Our volunteers are vetted for suitability to ensure we have the right people working with young patients and providing quality volunteer support to them and their families. We also believe in the importance of providing comprehensive training to equip volunteers to carry out their duties, particularly in a sensitive and clinical environment.

We ask for regular attendance at the same shift each week or fortnight. We currently only have shifts available Monday – Friday, within business hours. Shifts may also vary in duration from approximately two to four hours with each of our volunteer roles having set shift times and days. Our volunteer program also requires a minimum commitment of six months.

Unfortunately, we only have opportunities available for volunteers over the age of 18 years.

We are not able to provide clinical placement or workplace experience. While many of our volunteer roles are working in clinical departments, at no time will you be involved in providing clinical assistance to doctors and nurses.

Our Cuddle Carer role is a highly sought after role. We do not externally recruit volunteers directly into this specialised role. To be considered, you must have volunteered consistently within our volunteer program for a minimum of six months, displaying the qualities and attributes necessary for this privileged position.

You will be assigned to the same shift each week or fortnight. We cannot facilitate individual week-to-week rosters. We will organise your regular shift and start date once you have completed all of the on-boarding requirements.

It is possible to change shifts (or roles) if your availability changes, in consultation with your Program Lead. However, we ask that you complete a minimum six weeks in your assigned services so we can provide a thorough and consistent training and onboarding experience.

Yes, you will need to have a current and valid Blue Card before you can volunteer in any of our roles. There is no cost for volunteer Blue Cards.

Prior to commencement of volunteering, you will need to provide evidence of vaccination and/or immunity to the following:

• Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough) including booster
• Varicella (Chickenpox)

It will need to be completed by your medical practitioner, who may request a blood test in the absence of a suitable vaccination record. The hospital does not provide vaccinations for volunteers and we are unable to cover any associated costs.

For more information, including acceptable forms of evidence or exemption circumstances, please review the Queensland Health – Protocol for vaccine preventable disease screening for contractors, students and volunteers

No. Our volunteer program is located at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane, along with a limited number of Community Child Health Centres within the Brisbane area.

All toy, clothing, and book donations will be sorted by our team and processed to support as many patients and families as  possible throughout the year. This includes being used for birthday presents, significant milestones, special events such as  Christmas, facilitating our play services and stocking play spaces in waiting rooms.

ALL items must be new – we cannot accept any pre-loved goods.

Popular items include:

Babies and toddlers (0-24 months)
Easy to clean items such as rattles, stacking blocks, things that light up and flip, push and pull toys.

Younger children (3-7 years)
Plastic animals and dinosaurs, cars, trucks, individual Barbies, Shopkins, My Little Pony toys, cooking sets, pencils, and crayons

Older children (8-12 years)
Puzzles under 500 pieces, remote control cars, action figures, colouring activities, pens and pencils, individual craft packs.

Teenagers (13+ years)
Gift vouchers, Rubix Cubes and educational puzzles, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, iPads, mindfulness colouring books, and board games.

Other items
• Clothes for all ages and all sizes, including adults, such as T-shirts, shorts and skirts, pajamas, shoes, and thongs.
• DUPLO for all ages
• LEGO for 7+ is always appreciated

We are always in need of gifts for teenagers, particularly for boys 10+. Popular items for this age group include small Bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones, and small fidget puzzles.

Easy-to-clean baby items are also always in demand, such as rattles, stacking blocks, things that light up and flip (no button batteries), and push and pull toys.

For storage, wrapping, and distribution purposes, we would appreciate it if the size of individual items are no bigger than A3 size.

For the safety of children and to abide by hospital restrictions, there are unfortunately a number of items we cannot accept.
These are:

• Political, controversial, religious items
• Food or toxic items (no latex)
• Anything with button batteries
• Items with sharp edges
• Small objects
• Knitted blankets

No. Due to infection control policies, we are unable to accept pre-loved goods. All donations must be brand new.

Yes, you absolutely can! You can email us at [email protected] for posters, social tiles and delivery instructions.

Please refer to the list of items we always require as a guide for what to ask for in your collection.

If you register your collection, we can support by providing some tips and tricks, a poster, flyer, social tile, and a Letter of Authority to share with your donors to show that your collection has been approved by the Children’s Hospital Foundation as the nominated beneficiary.

Our team is at Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH) Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 4.30pm. Donations can be made via the patient drop-off zone on Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane 4101 (see map).

When you are ready to make your donation, please call us on 3068 1662 when you arrive at the above location and we will come out to greet you and accept the donation.

Unfortunately, our team is only at QCH Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 4:30pm. Please contact
us via [email protected] or on 3068 1662 to discuss options for after-hour deliveries.

We are a very small team and don’t have the people power to collect your donation from you. If you would like to arrange courier delivery (at your cost) please contact us via [email protected] for our delivery address.

No. This is due to infection control protocols and patient confidentiality.

Our team are more than happy to take photos for you to include on your media channels however we are unable to organize media to be present to accept your delivery.

No. Due to infection control and patient safety, our team will need to sight all items before they are given to the children. As such, we ask that you please reframe from using gift wrap as we will unfortunately need to unwrap them all.