Supporting Families
What supports are available?
There is a wide range of professional support available to parents and families of a child with a hearing loss. This includes:
Parent and family support groups
Parent support groups allow parents of children with a hearing loss to get together, share information and experiences and provide support and guidance to each other.
Support groups can involve:
- Discussion groups
- Workshops
- Online forums
See the Related Links on the left of the screen for a list of support groups for parents of a child with a hearing loss in Victoria.
Financial support
There is a number of payments that may be available to families to help raise their child with a hearing loss. They include:
- Carer allowance
- Carer payment
- Carer supplement
- Disability Assistance Payment
- Carer card
See the Related Links on the left of the screen for more on the financial support available for parents of a child with a hearing loss.
Schooling support
Each child is different. So when it is time for a child with a hearing loss to attend school, it is important for parents to look into a variety of options in order to choose the school that best suits their child’s needs. Children with a hearing loss can attend:
- Mainstream school
- Mainstream school with a specialist unit
- Schools for deaf children
- Specialist schools for deaf children
See the Related Links on the left of the screen for a list of schools for children with a hearing loss.
See the Resources at the top of the screen for more on supporting families.