FAQs

Your donation will help fund life-saving research and medical equipment and provide the highest level of support and entertainment programs for sick kids and their families.

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, bank account (via direct debit) or PayPal once a month.

Your donation will help fund life-saving research and medical equipment, and provide the highest level of support and entertainment programs for sick kids and their families.

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 PayPal or 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 employer and all volunteer applications will be treated equally. 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.

Volunteers must possess the ability to gain an understanding of and adhere to, Foundation volunteer services policies and procedures. We require volunteers to possess an ability to interact in a team, use initiative, take direction and work effectively with limited supervision. 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 any applicant is unable to meet these inherent requirements, unfortunately, we will not able to progress their application any further.

Please read the below conditions of becoming a volunteer.

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Ability to provide documentary evidence of vaccination or immunity for specified vaccine preventable diseases including COVID- 19.
• Ability to interact in a teams
• Ability to interact positively with children’s, staff, and families
• A willingness to acquire a valid working with children Blue Suitability Card
• Ability to fit in and adhere to the cultural values of the Children’s Hospital Foundation
• Good Communication skills
• Independently comprehend policies and procedures
• Ability to understand and respect confidentiality
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries
• Independently complete required assessments
• Independently follow hospital Emergency Procedures
• Independently identify potential risks and work within all Health and Safety Guidelines

You can find out more about our volunteer roles here. At this stage, we are only recruiting volunteers to join Monday to Friday during business hours. If this is an opportunity you’d love to be a part of, please submit your application form via our website here.

STEP ONE: SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION 

The first step is to submit an application. Please note, we are currently seeking volunteers to join our Monday to Friday during business hours only.

If this is an opportunity you’d love to be a part of, please submit your application form via our website here. Our team will then be in contact regarding next steps.

If you would prefer to volunteer in another one of our services, or your availability is only weekends and afterhours, please email us at [email protected]

STEP TWO: SHIFT OFFER 

Once your volunteer application has been accepted, our volunteer recruitment team will be in contact when there is a shift time available that matches your service preferences and availability.

STEP THREE: VOLUNTEER TRAINING 

You will then need to attend one of our training sessions at the Queensland Children’s Hospital at South Brisbane. Details of the training session will be outlined in your email with your offer. At these sessions we run through our procedures required in our volunteer roles. The frequency that training sessions are conducted is based on availability of volunteer shifts but are generally run monthly. You will be advised of the upcoming training session dates and details once your application has been received and processed.

STEP FOUR: BLUE CARD 

You need to have a valid Blue Card. This is organised for you after training session if you do not have one or need your card renewed. There is no cost to volunteers for Blue Cards. Blue Card Services generally takes up to 28 days to process Blue Card applications. We do not send through instructions for applying for a Blue Card, or will not link your current Blue Card to the organisation, until you attend a volunteer training session.

STEP FIVE: REFERENCE CHECK 

We conduct a reference check on all volunteers before they start to ensure we have the right people working with our young patients and in the right roles. It does not need to be a work-related referee, just not a family member or social friend. The application form asks you to nominate two referees.

STEP SIX: VACCINATION EVIDENCE FORM 

As part of the Queensland Government’s strategy to protect patients, staff and the wider community from vaccine preventable diseases, you will need to provide documentary evidence of vaccination or evidence that you are not susceptible to the following vaccine preventable diseases before commencement of volunteering:

Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) including booster

Varicella (Chickenpox)

The vaccination evidence form will be emailed to you once your application has been accepted. This form will need to be completed by your medical practitioner. We will not be able to accept any other form of evidence and are unable to provide the vaccinations or cover any associated costs.

STEP SEVEN: COVID-19 VACCINATION 

As our volunteers work closely with vulnerable patients, the Children’s Hospital Foundation has taken all necessary steps to reinforce our commitment to patient safety as well as uphold responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of volunteers. All volunteers will be required to show evidence (Medicare Immunisation History Record) of their COVID-19 vaccination status. This is now a mandatory condition of volunteering with the Children’s Hospital Foundation. Specific instructions will be emailed to you once your application has been accepted.

STEP EIGHT: ONLINE COVID-19 TRAINING 

All volunteers are also required to complete online, COVID-19 infection control volunteer training before starting on shift. It’s a short online course, that usually only takes around 10-15 minutes. Instructions are provided to you once your application has been accepted.

STEP NINE: ONLINE SITE INDUCTION 

Everyone working in the hospital is required to complete an online site induction module on building features, emergency procedures, safety and wellbeing when they commence work in the building. The instructions are provided to you once your application has been accepted.

STEP TEN: STATUTORY DECLARATION 

As a condition of voluntary work with Children’s Hospital Foundation, all volunteers are also required to complete a statutory declaration that covers statements relating to working with children. Specific instructions for this are provided once your application has been accepted.

STEP ELEVEN

Once the steps above are complete, your Volunteer Manager will organise your regular shift and a start date with you, after training.

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.

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. Each of our volunteer roles have set shift times and days. You will find out more about shift days through our Volunteer Coordinator who will liaise with you once we have received your application.

Sadly, not at this stage. Unfortunately, due to the closure of our services over the COVID-19 period, we are currently in the process of a slow recruitment re-build. If you would like to volunteer after hours or on weekends, please email us directly at [email protected]

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide monthly, ad hoc or one-time volunteering experiences. Our volunteer program requires regular attendance at the same shift weekly or fortnightly, with a minimum commitment of six months.

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

Children may not accompany a volunteer at any time. Our minimum volunteer age is 18 years. The process to become a volunteer is to ensure the safety of our patients and their families.

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 don’t organise your regular shift and start date until we have completed all of the on-boarding requirements. It is possible to change shifts (or roles) if your availability changes, in consultation with your volunteer manager. We have many university students volunteering with us who experience a change in their availability each semester.

Yes, you will need to have a current and valid Blue Card before you can volunteer in any of our roles. This is organised for you after the training session if you do not have one or need your card renewed. Blue Card Services takes up to 28 days to process Blue Card applications, but we will not submit Blue Card application forms until after you have attended a volunteer training session. There is no cost for volunteer Blue Cards.

Prior to commencement of volunteering, you will need to provide evidence of vaccination or of being not susceptible to the following:

Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) including booster

Varicella (Chickenpox)

The required evidence form will be provided to you prior to your attendance at a training session. It will need to be completed by your medical practitioner, who may request a blood test in the absence of a suitable vaccination record.

Required to submit evidence (Medicare Immunisation History Record) of their COVID-19 vaccination status before starting on shift.

Yes, as our volunteers work closely with vulnerable patients, the Children’s Hospital Foundation has taken all necessary steps to reinforce our commitment to patient safety as well as uphold responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of volunteers. From August 21^st , 2021 a new condition of volunteering was introduced that all volunteers will be required to show evidence (Medicare Immunisation History Record) of their COVID-19 vaccination status. This is a mandatory condition of volunteering with the Children’s Hospital Foundation. Specific instructions will be emailed to you once your application has been accepted.

Unfortunately, as it is now a condition of volunteering with the Children’s Hospital Foundation, we will not be able to accept your volunteer application. We thank you so much for your time, understanding and interest with volunteering with us.

Once you have received your two doses, we require a copy of your Medicare immunization history record to attach to your volunteer profile. We’ll explain these steps over email once your application has been accepted.

We will send through all the necessary steps required to receive your COVID-19 vaccination via email, once your application has been accepted.

Yes, if you do not have both your vaccinations you can still come to training, but will not be able to start on shift prior to receiving your 1^st dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. We will send you further information once your application has been accepted.

Unfortunately, the hospital does not provide vaccinations for volunteers and we are unable to cover any associated costs.

No. Therapy dog handlers have additional screening and placement requirements that are assigned by Delta Society Australia. To find out more about these opportunities, please contact Delta Society directly.

Our volunteers are vetted for suitability to ensure we have the right people working with our 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.

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! We’d love for you to register your collection with us so we know to expect your wonderful donation and so we can support you throughout your activation. You can register your collection here.

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.