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Ronald McDonald House Charities South and Central Australia (RMHC SCA) will be the first Australian chapter to have in-house psychologists, thanks to a new collaboration with the University of Adelaide.

This additional ground-breaking service builds on the work of RMHC SCA, which has been supporting regional families with sick or injured children who are being cared for at the Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide since 2000 - mostly through the generosity and support of the community.

In 2024, the organisation provided more than 6874 nights of accommodation to 187 families at its North Adelaide base, which features amenities and services which aim to create a warm and supportive environment away from home, all free of charge.

University students completing their Master of Psychology will work under the supervision of Lecturer and Senior Psychologist Dr Cecily Young to aid the families using the RMHC.

"This is a really unique opportunity for our students to gain experience in working with families in a holistic way such as supporting staff and volunteers," says Dr Young.

"These are very valuable skills which upcoming psychologists can take forward with them in their future careers.

"We will take a family-focused perspective and provide a strong continuity of care. The families here are so resilient, but it’s important for them to have a space where they don’t need to be strong and can feel what they need to."

RMHC SCA Head of Operations & Programs Georgina Johnson welcomed the partnership and said she looked forward to the positive impact it would have.

"We have been looking for the past two or three years at a service like this, and after seeing it in action in a Los Angeles chapter of RMHC last year we really started to pursue it," says Georgina.

"Our families are going through some incredibly difficult times, and their lives have been completely uprooted, so we wanted to bring in more wrap-around services.

"Our staff and volunteers are amazing at being there for our families, but we needed professionals to help support them when they're dealing with such complex emotions like grief and loss."

Dr Young and the students will also work with staff and volunteers to develop training programs, and investigate potential research.

"Our vision is to ensure that every family with an ill or injured child has the support they need to stay together and strong throughout their journey," says RMHC SCA CEO Melissa Monkhouse.

"This new arrangement is a perfect example of that."