SHORT TERM ACCOMMODATION (STA) | WAURN PONDS, GEELONG
Short Term Accommodation in Geelong: A Stay That Feels Like Home
MasRic Health provides NDIS short term accommodation (STA) for children under 16 in Geelong. Stays take place in the founders’ own two-bedroom family home in Waurn Ponds, a homestay arrangement, with the same small team every time. Day, overnight and school holiday stays are funded from a child’s NDIS Core Supports budget.
Short Term Accommodation for Families Who Need a Real Break
If you’re the parent or carer of a child with disability, you already know the maths. School holidays arrive, shifts don’t stop, grandparents can only do so much, and the one holiday program that would take your child left them overwhelmed by morning tea. You’d take a break if there were somewhere you actually trusted to leave them.
That’s who our short term accommodation is for. Families across Geelong and the Surf Coast with a child under 16 who has an NDIS plan, who settles best with a predictable routine and familiar people, and who deserves somewhere that feels like a home, because it is one.
A stay here isn’t only a break for you. It’s a chance for your child to enjoy a different routine, try new things in the kitchen and the backyard, and build a little confidence away from home with people they know.
What's Included in a Stay
A room of their own
One of two quiet bedrooms, set up with your child's own bedding (if they want that), comforts and visuals if that helps them settle.
Familiar routines
We follow your child's usual mealtimes, bedtime and morning routine. You tell us how home works; we do it the same way.
Home-cooked meals
Prepared in our kitchen, with your child helping if they like to. Dietary and cultural needs are part of the plan from day one. Under NDIS rules groceries are a day-to-day cost rather than an NDIS support, and we agree how that works with you before the first stay.
Real activities
Cooking, baking, craft, the backyard, and outings to local Geelong parks, the library and the waterfront when your child is up for it. Support to get out and enjoy it is part of the stay; tickets and entry fees are paid by the family, as they would be at home.
The same people
Masego and our small team of support worker. Nobody your child hasn't already met.
A proper handover
A short catch-up at drop-off and pick-up, and a message during longer stays so you can actually relax.
A Normal Family Home in Waurn Ponds
Our short term accommodation happens in the house we live in, which the NDIS calls a homestay arrangement. It’s ten minutes from Geelong’s southern suburbs and twenty from Torquay, on a quiet street in Waurn Ponds. There are two bedrooms set up for participants, a kitchen that gets used every day, and a backyard to run around in.
We want to keep each stay memorable and so we keep our arrangements to one child at a time on purpose. That’s what keep stays calm and lets us give the child our full attention.
Nearby Amenities & Community Access:
- 5km from Geelong CBD – Access to shopping, cafes, and essential services.
- Public Transport Links – Close to train stations and bus routes for easy travel.
- Local Parks & Outdoor Spaces – Opportunities for exercise, fresh air, and community outings.
How a First Stay Works
We never rush this part. Here’s what families can expect.
A conversation
Fill in the short form or give us a call. We'll ring you back, listen, and talk through your child's routine, what they enjoy, and what you're hoping for. No paperwork yet.
Come and see the house
You and your child visit while you're there. Meet all three of us, see the bedrooms and the backyard, and let your child find their feet.
Short stays first
A daytime visit, then a longer one. We build up at your child's pace, using the routines, visuals and comforts that already work at home. If they're not ready, we wait.
Overnights and school holidays
When everyone's comfortable, we book in overnight and school holiday stays. Same people, same room, same routine, every time.
School Holiday Stays in Geelong
School holidays are when families need us most, and when our two rooms fill first. We offer full-day and overnight stays across the Victorian term breaks and over Christmas, with the same familiar routine your child already knows from their regular stays.
Holiday stays include life-skills activities like cooking and baking, craft, time in the backyard, and outings around Geelong when your child is up for it. Working parents use us for holiday cover; other families use us for a weekend away with their other children. Both are exactly what respite is for.
Enquire early. We plan holiday bookings about five weeks before each term break, and families with a regular pattern get first call on the next holiday period.
How NDIS Funding Covers Short Term Accommodation
Short Term Accommodation, or STA, is the NDIS name for respite. It gives a participant a short stay away from home, with support, so the family or carer can rest. STA sits under Core Supports, the most flexible part of a plan, and many children’s plans already include it. The NDIS generally funds up to 28 days a year, for up to 14 days at a time.
A note on names. The NDIS called this support “short term respite” between October 2025 and June 2026, then returned to “short term accommodation” from 1 July 2026. If your plan says STA, short term respite or respite, it’s the same funding.
What changed on 1 July 2026. Accommodation and support are now itemised separately, both in line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, so you can see what a stay is made up of. Groceries, tickets and entry fees are treated as day-to-day living costs rather than NDIS supports, just as they would be at home. We explain exactly how this works for your child’s stay before anything is booked, and we support NDIA-managed, plan-managed and self-managed participants.
Why Families Choose MasRic for Short Term Accommodation
A real home, not a facility
Two bedrooms, a backyard, a kitchen that's always busy. Your child stays somewhere that already feels like home, because it is one.
Small on purpose
One child at a time, a handful of regular families, and a calm, predictable routine.
The same faces, every time
No roster, no strangers at the door. You'll meet all of us before we start.
Registered, safe, and open about it
Audited against the NDIS Practice Standards. Everyone here holds an NDIS Worker Screening Check and a Working With Children Check. Ask to see the paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions About Short Term Accommodation
Is short term accommodation the same as respite? And what about "short term respite"?
Yes, they’re the same support. Short Term Accommodation (STA) is the official NDIS name; respite is the everyday word for it. The NDIS briefly renamed it “short term respite” from October 2025 before returning to STA on 1 July 2026, so you’ll still see all three names around. At MasRic Health, STA happens in our own home in Waurn Ponds.
Can I use my child's NDIS funding for school holiday respite?
In most cases, yes. STA sits under Core Supports, the most flexible part of a plan, and many children’s plans already include it. We confirm the funding with you and your plan manager or coordinator first.
My child has never stayed away from home. How would this work?
Slowly, and at their pace. Every family starts with a visit while you’re there, then a short daytime stay, then longer. Most children are well settled before their first overnight, and if they’re not ready, we wait.
Can my child bring their own things?
Please do. Their own pillow, blanket, comfort items, visual schedules, favourite foods and anything else that makes home feel like home. We’ll set the room up before they arrive.
How much does NDIS short term accommodation cost in Geelong?
Since 1 July 2026 the accommodation and the support are itemised separately, both billed in line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, so there are no surprise fees. Groceries and activity entry fees sit outside NDIS funding. We walk you through all of it before anything is booked.
What ages do you take, and is my child a good fit?
Our respite is designed for children under 16. Our home is calm and routine-based, and it works best for children who settle well with a predictable environment and familiar people. The home visit and short stays are how we work out together whether it’s the right fit.
How long can a stay be?
Anything from a full day to several nights. Most families start with day stays, then a single overnight, then longer stays in the school holidays. The NDIS generally funds up to 28 days of STA a year, for up to 14 days at a time.
Do you take children with high behavioural support needs?
Our home is best suited to children who settle well with a calm routine and familiar people, and we’re honest about that from the first conversation. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll point you to a provider who is.
Still have questions?
Feel free to reach out through our website or give us a call. We are happy to help.
Ready for a Break That Feels Like Home?
Tell us a little about your child and the dates you’re thinking of. We’ll call you back, answer your questions, and if it feels right, invite you to come and see the house.
admin@masrichealth.com.au
0491 795 198
Rossack Drive, Waurn Ponds VIC
Support coordinators and plan managers: we respond to referrals within one business day.