Key messages
- The Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program provides specialist paediatric palliative care advice to health professionals caring for children with a life-threatening condition and their families.
- Very Special Kids provides services to families who have a child with a life-threatening condition and to families whose child has died.
- The paediatric palliative care flexible support fund assists in meeting gaps in service or equipment availability for children with palliative needs.
The two main paediatric palliative care services available within Victoria are the Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program and the Very Special Kids program.
Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program
The Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program (VPPCP) is an alliance between The Royal Children’s Hospital, Monash Medical Centre and Very Special Kids.
The VPPCP provides specialist paediatric palliative care advice to health professionals caring for children with a life-threatening condition and their families, enabling them to receive optimal care in the setting of their choice.
Paediatric palliative care flexible support fund
The flexible support fund assists in meeting gaps in service or equipment availability for children with palliative care needs, who are in the terminal phase of their illness and who are clients of the VPPCP.
Read more about the VPPCP at the The Royal Children’s Hospital .
Very Special Kids
Very Special Kids provides services to families who have a child with a life-threatening condition and to families whose child has died.
Very Special Kids provides services including needs-based emotional support, counselling and activities, a sibling support program, bereavement support, and respite and end-of-life care through Very Special Kids House.
More information is available at the Very Special Kids .
Paediatric palliative care resources
Paediatric Palliative Care National Action
Thinking ahead
The Thinking ahead resources are for healthcare professionals working with children who have life limiting-conditions and their families, to help them have advance care planning conversations. Resources comprise a policy paper, framework and discussion guide:
Reviewed 13 March 2026