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Financial Help for Families

Policy

This policy sets out requirements for schools to help families experiencing financial hardship so their children can take part in the full school program.

Summary

  • Schools must develop arrangements that support families experiencing financial hardship.
  • Schools must communicate arrangements so that all families are well informed.
  • Schools should put in place strategies to identify families experiencing hardship, while promoting their dignity, exercising sensitivity and confidentiality of their circumstances.

Details

Schools must prepare for and support families who are experiencing financial hardship so their children can take part in the full school program.

This includes developing financial help for families arrangements that:

  • support families on a case-by-case basis and provide an appropriate, achievable and family-centred response that promotes the dignity and confidentiality of family circumstances and assures families that students will continue to be supported to access the curriculum
  • nominate suitable staff to be the contact(s) for families who have queries about parent contributions. These staff will be responsible for working with families to determine, negotiate and maintain appropriate responses.

Schools can use the Financial help for families schools checklist (DOCX)(opens in a new window) to help develop and implement financial help arrangements.

Free instruction

All students in Victorian government schools must have free access to instruction to fulfil curriculum requirements for the Victorian Curriculum F–10, the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) including the VCE Vocational Major and the Victorian Pathways Certificate.

Free instruction includes teaching, administrative support, and the facilities needed to deliver the curriculum, including reasonable adjustments to support students with disability.

Schools can invite parents to pay for extra-curricular items and activities that are additional to the free instruction provided to all students to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum. These items and activities can be offered on a user-pays basis.

Parents may experience difficulties:

  • paying for extra-curricular items and activities that are suitable for their child
  • buying learning materials for their child to own, rather than use what is provided for free by the school.

Financial help arrangements

If a family is experiencing financial hardship and cannot afford for their child/children to take part in the full school program, schools should consider school-based support such as:

  • reminding them that voluntary contributions are voluntary (noting that there is an express requirement under the Parent Contributions policy that schools advise carers of students in out-of-home care and parents and carers who hold a financially means-tested card that invitations to make voluntary contributions do not apply to them)
  • establishing flexible payment plans for extra-curricular items and activities, or waiving, reducing or extending payment
  • exercising discretion and use department approved wording in the Parent Contributions policy when preparing reminder notices for unpaid items for families experiencing hardship
  • referring families to government or community support programs that may help them to buy uniforms and other learning items to own
  • setting up ways for families to swap or pass on second-hand items such as textbooks, uniforms and stationery
  • maintaining supportive contact with families and revisiting agreed arrangements when requested.

Support programs

Schools should be aware of support programs provided by the department and external providers, referring families to these services where appropriate or applying to programs on their behalf.

Schools can develop partnerships with local services and welfare groups which can provide specialist support and assistance to students and families in financial crisis.

A number of available programs are listed on the Resources tab. Government funded support programs include:

  • Affordable School Uniform Program (through State Schools Relief)
  • Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
  • student scholarships
  • Marrung Education Scholarships.

Communication requirements

Financial help arrangements must be:

  • easy to find on the school website, in enrolment packs, in newsletters, within excursion permission forms and in published parent contributions arrangements
  • communicated in language that is inclusive and non-judgmental
  • communicated in language that is easy to understand, is culturally appropriate and if required, translated into multiple languages – schools can use funded Interpreting and Translating Services for key school communications
  • consistent with the Parent Contributions policy.

Schools must include financial help for families arrangements whenever requesting payments for items and activities over and above what the school provides for free to deliver the curriculum.

Definitions

The Curriculum
The Curriculum is the Victorian Curriculum F–10, the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) including the VCE Vocational Major, and the Victorian Pathways Certificate.

Contacts

Schools

For policy advice and enquiries about Parent Contributions arrangements, schools can contact the School Operations and Governance Unit: parent.contributions@education.vic.gov.au.

For financial enquiries, schools can contact Schools Financial Management Support Unit: schools.finance.support@education.vic.gov.au.

Parents

For general queries about financial help for families you can contact the Department’s general enquiries line on 1800 338 663 or email enquiries@education.vic.gov.au.

If you have queries about to your school’s financial help arrangements please speak with your school first.

Department policy setting out requirements for schools to help families experiencing financial hardship so their children can take part in the full school program.

Updated

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