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.

Related policies

• Camps, Sport and Excursions Fund
• Interpreting and Translation Services
• Marrung education scholarships(opens in a new window)
• Parent Contributions
• State Schools' Relief
• Student scholarships(opens in a new window)

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.

Guidance

Recognising financial hardship

Schools must be proactive in sensitively identifying families who may be reluctant to access arrangements and refer them to their nominated parent contributions contact(s) to determine if support is needed.

While hardship is usually identified when families request assistance from the school’s Parent Contributions contact(s), some families may be reluctant to access support from the school.

Teachers are often the first to see indicators of financial hardship. Staff who have reason to believe that a student’s family may be experiencing hardship can bring this to the attention of the school’s Parent Contributions contact(s), to sensitively engage with the family and determine if support is needed.

Schools are encouraged to provide training and resources to teaching and administration staff so that they can identify signs of financial hardship.

Common indicators of financial hardship can include:

• students not owning the same or similar materials as other class members (such as bags, stationery or equipment)
• recurring decisions to not purchase, or participate in, extra-curricular items and activities
• uniforms that are incomplete or in poor condition
• students disclosing hardship or contributing factors to staff responsible for student welfare.

These can include, but are not limited to:

• sudden changes such as loss of employment or illness in the family
• disruption such as family breakdown or transitional housing
• crisis events such as family violence or natural disasters
• families who sought support for other department programs, such as the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
• carers of children and young people in out-of-home care, and parents or carers who hold a financially means-tested card (such as a healthcare card)
• refugee status, for example, families seeking asylum who are on a Bridging or Temporary Protection visa.

Resources

Checklist

• Financial Help for Families School Checklist (DOCX)(opens in a new window)

Victorian Government assistance programs

• The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund(opens in a new window) applications are submitted by schools. The program provides capped payments for eligible students to attend camps, sports and excursions.
• State Schools’ Relief(opens in a new window) applications are submitted by schools. The program covers costs such as new school uniforms, shoes, books and more for disadvantaged students.
• Student scholarships(opens in a new window) – the Department of Education and Training manages over 25 student scholarships programs, that are awarded for a range of reasons including academic achievement, participation in the school and local community or financial need.

Commonwealth family assistance

The Australian Government provides a range of payments and services to help families look after their children’s health, education and other family issues.

• Centrelink’s Parent Payment Finder(opens in a new window) takes families through what payments and service they can be eligible for. Some of these payments and services include:
• Child Care Subsidy(opens in a new window) which provides help for eligible families with the cost of outside school hours care, vacation care and registered care.
• Family Tax Benefits, A or B, or Parenting Payments.
• Youth Allowance(opens in a new window), Newstart Allowance(opens in a new window) or ABSTUDY(opens in a new window) which provide help for young people between 15 and 24 years of age. These payments provide financial support while young people are looking for work, studying, training or undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship.
• Health Care Card(opens in a new window) which provides help with the with the cost of prescription medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Commonwealth-funded medical services, and access to state, territory and local government concessions.

Community assistance

• Good Shepherd Australia(opens in a new window) provides affordable financial programs, including the No Interest Loans (NILs)(opens in a new window) scheme , for people on low or limited incomes that may assist families to afford educational costs and other expenses.
• Saver Plus(opens in a new window) is an initiative of Brotherhood of St Laurence and ANZ that assists families on lower incomes. The program matches family savings up to $500 for education-related costs.
• St Vincent de Paul(opens in a new window) offers a range of assistance including food or food vouchers, clothing, furniture, budget support, back to school costs, information and advocacy.
• The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program(opens in a new window) provides financial support, guidance and mentoring for disadvantaged students. The Smith Family works with a select number of schools and may require referral from the school principal.
• Travellers Aid Australia’s Pathways to Education program(opens in a new window) provides student travel passes to eligible secondary school students experiencing financial difficulties, enabling them to travel to school or other forms of training and education.

Websites with Victorian community services information

• The Ardoch School Costs Guide(opens in a new window) lists support options that provide financial assistance to families and reduce school costs.
• Crisis Referral Information System (CRIS) Online Directory(opens in a new window) provides information for people seeking welfare assistance, advice and general referral and support. The online directory contains comprehensive information on services and organisations such as those providing support in respect to accommodation, domestic violence, drug and alcohol treatment, health, material aid and mental health.
• Community Information and Support Victoria (CISVic)(opens in a new window) is a peak body representing local community information and support services that assist people experiencing personal and financial difficulties.
• Infoxchange Service Seeker(opens in a new window) is a search site for community support services.