2,500,000
books read since our foundation
990+
Active Pyjama Angel volunteers
$3.7 million
is the estimated value of volunteer hours in private tutoring
1200+
children supported every week
About Children in Foster Care
Over the past 10 years the number of children in out-of-home care has risen significantly, with approximately 50,000 children in foster care in Australia. According to The Australian Institute of Family Studies, young children up to 18 years are removed from their original homes when they are unable to live with their families, often due to child abuse, trauma, and neglect, resulting in poor health and attachments. This pool of children has the worst educational outcomes of any group of children in Australia (AIHW). Statistics show that:
- 92% of children are below the average reading level by age 7. Low levels of literacy is an indicator associated with future disadvantage and a higher rate of homelessness
- 75% of children in care do not complete 12 years of school. Thus, this can negatively impact their career and educational outcomes
- 35% of children in care enter the juvenile justice system, having a life-long impact
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011, poor literacy is often repeated from one generation to the next. In turn, this creates chronic disadvantage within families and communities.
Unfortunately, there is evidence that a considerable proportion of children in out-of-home care do not meet national benchmarks of literacy and numeracy. Therefore, this means children in care are at far greater risk of poorer educational outcomes than those not in care.
The Solution
At The Pyjama Foundation we love the work of Dr Bruce Perry, a clinical psychiatrist, who states that the forming of positive relationships is vital for children who have experienced trauma. The outcomes of trauma include loss of trust, social wariness and a diminished ability to manage emotions. Additionally, trauma and pain can make children irritable, anxious and aggressive.
However, the healthier relationships a child has, the more likely they are to recover from trauma. Relationships are the agents of change and the most powerful therapy is human love, allowing children to thrive.
About the Love of Learning Program…
Foster carers support the emotional and social needs of children in care. More often than not, further support is required to meet the literacy and educational needs of these children. The Pyjama Foundation has developed a learning-based mentorship Program, called the Love of Learning Program.
This Program matches one caring adult volunteers, called a Pyjama Angel, with one child in foster care. Pyjama Angels visit every week, and support their child with learning, life skills, and confidence. Importantly, these volunteers demonstrate that the child is valued as an individual. Read more about our Program here!
Since our inception in 2004, The Pyjama Foundation has inspired many members of our community to become volunteer Pyjama Angels. Currently, more than 1200 children in care are involved in the Love of Learning Program.
Empowerment of Children
We are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children. Like adults, children have human rights; this includes the right to special protection because of their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse.
The main international human rights treaty on children’s rights is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world, signed by Australia in December 1990. This means that Australia has a duty to ensure that all children enjoy the rights set out in the treaty. Click here to read more about the CRC.
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