Bear Cottage

What Bear Cottage does

Bear Cottage is the only dedicated children's hospice in New South Wales, Australia, and has operated as a division of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network — a NSW Government statutory health corporation — since welcoming its first families in May 2001. It provides paediatric palliative care to children under 18 with life-limiting conditions (including antenatal and perinatal cases), offering 24/7 Registered Nursing care, respite stays of up to four weeks per year, end-of-life care, after-death care, and ongoing bereavement support. Care is delivered in a deliberately non-clinical, home-like facility at 2 Fairy Bower Road, Manly, with beach-themed children's rooms, family suites, a multi-sensory room, gardens, spa, and dedicated family-after-death space (Clifton Gardens). Capacity is fixed at six to eight children and families at any one time, and referrals are accepted nationally via the ConsultMed platform or direct contact with the Clinical Nurse Specialist.

The service is delivered through a multidisciplinary team of approximately 60 staff — including a Paediatric Palliative Care Staff Specialist, four rostered GPs, social workers, a physiotherapist, child life therapist, music and art therapists, chefs, housekeepers, and administration — supported by more than 120 trained volunteers and a resident companion dog (Beau). Specialised therapies (music, art, play, physiotherapy, social work, spiritual care, pet therapy) sit alongside structured family support programmes for parents, siblings, and grandparents, and a multi-year bereavement programme (Footprints in the Sand, Remembering Day, Back to Bear Cottage BBQ).

Bear Cottage does not charge families for any service. Its $4 million annual operating budget is funded through community donations, corporate partnerships, school and event fundraising (A Bear Affair gala, Superhero Week, STRYDE4, City2Surf, gift-wrapping stations), bequests via the Promise Partner programme, and partial NSW Government funding channeled through the Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation. The $10 million capital build was raised entirely from community support. Cumulative reach exceeds 1,000 families since opening.

Name

Bear Cottage

Legal name

Sydney Children's Hospitals Network

Website

https://bearcottage.schn.health.nsw.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bear Cottage is the only dedicated children's hospice in NSW, providing free paediatric palliative care, respite, end-of-life, and bereavement support to children under 18 with life-limiting conditions and their families across Australia, funded by donations and partial government support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paediatric Hospice Care

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care (HLADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Hospice / Hospice House (Facility-Based) (HLADAHAC), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)

Keywords

• Paediatric palliative care
• Children's hospice
• Respite care
• Bereavement support
• Family support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Manly Vale

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Community fundraising and donations: Bear Cottage relies on community and corporate donations and fundraising to cover its $4 million annual operating costs. It receives partial government funding but depends on donor generosity to provide the programs that make it unique. Donations are accepted online, through events, and via corporate partnerships.
2. Community fundraising events: Annual and one-off fundraising events including A Bear Affair gala dinner, Superhero Week, STRYDE4 Day, City2Surf, Christmas gift-wrapping stations, corporate working bees, and third-party community events generate funds and awareness.
3. Government funding (partial): The facility was established entirely through community support at a cost of $10 million and has started to receive some government funding, though it continues to rely on donated funds to provide its unique programs.
4. Bequests and legacy giving: Bear Cottage's Promise Partner program allows supporters to leave a gift in their Will, with no minimum amount required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bear Cottage is the only dedicated children's hospice in NSW, Australia, providing 24/7 paediatric palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Services include respite care, end-of-life care, after-death care, antenatal/perinatal palliative care, specialised therapies (music, art, play, pet), and ongoing bereavement support, all delivered free of charge in a home-like residential setting in Manly.

Product overview

Bear Cottage is a dedicated children's hospice providing comprehensive palliative care services for children with life-limiting conditions in NSW, Australia. The organisation offers a unified set of services centered around paediatric palliative care, including specialised therapies (music, art, play, and physiotherapy), family support programs (parent weekends, sibling support, grandparent retreats), antenatal and perinatal palliative care, and bereavement support through the Footprints in the Sand program. The service operates 24/7 with registered nurses and is supported by volunteers and community fundraising efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paediatric Palliative Care Services
• Respite Care
• End-of-Life Care
• After-Death Care
• Antenatal and Perinatal Palliative Care
• Specialised Therapies
• Family Support Programs Psychosocial support including social work, counselling, and programs for the whole family unit — parents, siblings, and grandparents — of children with life-limiting conditions.
• Footprints in the Sand Bereavement Program Structured long-term bereavement program supporting families for years after a child's death, including commemorative events and ongoing counselling.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Channel 9coreGTM or Marketing PartnerChannel 9's Santa's Helpers support Bear Cottage's annual family Christmas party. The Channel 9 team visits Bear Cottage to help prepare for events, create cards, and assist with preparations. Channel 9 also supported Bear Cottage's Mum's Support Weekend. This is an ongoing annual partnership providing event support and festive celebrations for families.
• Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO)notableGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Australian Chamber Orchestra generously donates tickets for Bear Cottage children and families to attend concerts such as 'If you had a star…where would you hide it?' — a sparkling celebration of imagination, friendship, empathy, courage, and love. The ACO's donations create magical family moments and unforgettable memories.
• Taronga Zoo SydneynotableGTM or Marketing PartnerTaronga Zoo Sydney's Mobile team visited Bear Cottage, bringing reptiles and animals for a hands-on, inclusive experience. Children enjoyed safely touching, feeling, and exploring fascinating creatures up close. These visits bring the outside world into Bear Cottage and create really special moments.
• Westfield Warringah MallnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerWestfield Warringah Mall hosts Bear Cottage's gift-wrapping station during key retail periods (Mother's Day), providing space, wrapping paper, ribbons, and a prime location for community engagement and fundraising. Bear Cottage volunteers wrap gifts in exchange for donations.
• Q Station ManlycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQ Station Manly hosts Bear Cottage's annual Grandparent's Retreat — a significant part of the Family Support Program. The Retreat provides an offsite, supportive environment for grandparents of children with life-limiting conditions. Q Station provides the venue, historic walking tours, and creates a special atmosphere for this therapeutic gathering.
• Machines & Macchiatos (Holden Heritage fundraiser)notableGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate community group that has been holding Holden Heritage fundraisers for Bear Cottage since 2016. Their events raise significant funds — one fundraiser generated $14,000 for Bear Cottage.
• Northern Beat BandnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerNorthern Beat band has generously donated entertainment at Bear Cottage events for the past 11 years, performing at National Volunteer Week celebrations and other occasions.
• Heartfelt PhotographynotableGTM or Marketing PartnerHeartfelt Photography captures family portraits at Bear Cottage for families who have lost a child. The photographer previously took Christmas photos in NICU and came to Bear Cottage after Josiah's passing to provide the family with the only portraits they would ever have together.
• Sydney Children's Hospitals NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBear Cottage is part of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (SCHN), which includes Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Kids Research, and NETS. This affiliation provides access to world-class medical resources, specialist referrals, and institutional infrastructure.
• Four Pines Brewing Co, Manly Kayaks, Abundant Sky, Corporate BodiesnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerThese local businesses and organisations generously supported Bear Cottage's Dad's Support Weekend by providing restorative yoga, kayaking on the harbour, and event activities. Their contributions make family support programs possible.
• STRYDE4 DaynotableGTM or Marketing PartnerBear Cottage is an official charity partner of STRYDE4 Day, an 8km community walk from Keirle Park Manly to Harbord Diggers. 100% of funds raised (minus registration) go directly to Bear Cottage. The partnership drives fundraising, community engagement, and brand awareness.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Helen & Douglas House: UK hospice for children and young adults offering respite, palliative, and end-of-life care. Comparable in offering whole-family support (siblings, parents) in a non-clinical environment, with similar volunteer-driven community model.
• Acorns Children's Hospice: UK children's hospice charity operating multiple hospices providing respite, palliative, and bereavement care for life-limited children. Closest international analogue in mission, multi-site scale, and fundraising-driven operating model.
• Hummingbird House: Queensland's only children's hospice, offering respite, end-of-life, and bereavement care for children with life-limiting conditions. Operates under a comparable not-for-profit, donation-funded hospice model and is the second major Australian peer.
• Canuck Place Children's Hospice: British Columbia's paediatric palliative care hospice, providing respite, pain/symptom management, and bereavement care. Operates a similar clinical-plus-family-support model with mixed government and donation funding.
• Very Special Kids: Victoria's only children's hospice, providing paediatric palliative care, respite, end-of-life, and bereavement support. Directly comparable mission, service model, and funding structure to Bear Cottage, and the most natural Australian peer.

Others

• Together for Short Lives: UK-wide charity and membership body for children's palliative care. Comparable as an industry association and policy advocate for the paediatric hospice sector rather than as a direct service provider.
• Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation: Fundraising foundation that supports Bear Cottage's parent (SCHN). Comparable fundraising infrastructure and donor base, but functions as an enabler/funder rather than a service provider and is structurally linked to Bear Cottage.

Broad incumbents

• Starlight Children's Foundation Australia: Delivers programs (Captain Starlight, wish-granting) to seriously ill children in hospitals. Comparable donor base and corporate partnerships, and overlaps in mission (joy and quality of life for children with serious illness), but does not provide palliative or hospice clinical care.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia: Provides accommodation and family-support services for families of seriously ill children receiving hospital treatment. Comparable beneficiary population (families of children with serious illness) and donation-funded model, but offers accommodation rather than clinical palliative care.

Emerging players

• Claire's House: A Western Australian paediatric palliative care initiative, sometimes described as a planned children's hospice. Closely comparable mission and potential future operating model, but at an earlier stage of development than Bear Cottage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bearcottage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bear Cottage