KOALA Kids provides the small things that make a difference to the lives of children and young people with cancer and their families.

KOALA Kids collaborates with Children’s Cancer Centres of Victoria at Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), Monash Medical Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and facilities in regional Victoria where children and young people when appopriate, can have their treatment closer to home.

KOALA Kids also works very closely with RCH Education Institute to reinforce the vision of the hospital space as a learning place providing rich learning opportunities for children and young people.

KOALA Kids was formed in 2006 (part of KOALA Foundation) is committed to supplying engaging, educational and entertaining activities and programs to distract children and their families from the pain and trauma associated with the cancer journey and to keep them connected with their schools and social networks.

KOALA Kids is self-funded. There are neither administrative costs nor paid staff and in fact most of KOALA Kids' funding is derived from a unique network of student ambassadors in primary and secondary schools.

These activities and programs include:

Comfort First - where KOALA Kids provides many of the tools that assist with pain management and offer distraction for children in treatment. Music, play and art therapy are important programs within Comfort First, managed by therapists, supported with consumables provided by KOALA Kids.

Sibling’s Days – KOALA Kids provides educational tools and gifts plus food and refreshments for sessions for brothers and sisters of children in treatment learning about the journey that their siblings have been forced to take. Meeting and talking with others in the same situation is an important aspect of the Sibling’s Days.

Look Good Feel Better - KOALA Kids provides food and refreshments for sessions that help teenagers manage the appearance-related side affects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy thereby helping to restore their self image and increase their self esteem.

KOALA Kids’ Gift Cupboards - Toys, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, make-up & beauty products, books and board games for children in treatment (and siblings) aged 3 months to 18 years for when a child or young person might be celebrating a birthday, a special milestone or quite simply just having a ‘bad day’.

KOALA Kids’ Calendar of Events - Celebrating special events, religious holidays and educational themes in the Ward and Out Patient Clinics like Chinese New Year, Australia Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Passover, Greek Easter, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Halloween, Children’s Week, School Holidays, Making Music Well Being, AFL Finals and others. Gifts for children to give to their parents on Mothers' and Fathers' Days with the child’s special custom designedcard mean so much to children in treatment and their families.

Chupa Chups – 6,000 Lollypops annually. One for every child during and post treatments for distraction, comfort and to minimize the negative memories of the procedure.

KOALA Kids’ School Ambassadors – Designed to empower interested students, year 5 and up, to raise the awareness in their school communities about children diagnosed with cancer and the plight of their families that make the cancer journey with them. It is envisaged that these students, from schools throughout Victoria, will develop mechanisms to raise funds that will be used to support the education of children in cancer treatment.

New programs that are currently being rolled out include:

KOALA Kids’ Comfort First Out Reach Tool Boxes –Activity boxes in the seven rural and regional centres filled with games, puzzles, craft & art, portable CD and DVD players and lots of other tools for children in treatment when they are able to receive care closer to home.

The KOALA Kids’ Artist in Residence Program – ‘Education Experience’ sponsors the KOALA Kids’ Visual Arts program every Tuesday morning at RCH facilitating pre-school and junior primary children in themed activities including paint, craft, drawing and other mediums to express their thoughts and feelings.

KOALA Kids is the only group fulfilling these needs for children and young people undergoing cancer treatment in Victoria.

Should you have any ideas, contacts or want more information about how you, your friends, your company, your family, your school or your community can become involved with KOALA Kids,
please contact koalakids@koalafoundation.org.au
or visit KOALA Kids' Facebook www.facebook.com/KOALAKidsNFP