Helping Foster Kids achieve their dreams…
The Pyjama Foundation was founded in 2004 to give children in foster care the opportunity to change the direction of their lives with learning, life skills, and confidence.
Alarmed at the statistics highlighting poor literacy and numeracy levels of children in care, and how this contributes to a lifetime of disadvantage, founder Bronwyn Sheehan made a decision – a decision to offer hope and a more positive outlook for these children.
Through a simple program known as the Love of Learning Program, volunteers called Pyjama Angels are matched with a child in care, and spend just one hour a week focusing on learning based activities. Pyjama Angels read books aloud, play educational games, and help children with their homework. In that time, they demonstrate that this child is valued and loved.
Bronwyn’s Story
Founder and Director of The Pyjama Foundation and Queensland Australian of the Year 2009
When Bronwyn Sheehan realised that children in care were not being given the same opportunities in life as other children she decided to do something about it…
“I founded The Pyjama Foundation 13 years ago now, to contribute to the lives of kids in care. I wanted to do something that would be positive and that would have the benefit of changing the direction of their precious little lives. Education equates to quality of life. The reason I started The Pyjama Foundation is my oldest daughter Kate went through primary school with a child in care. I met her foster carer and I was blown away by her commitment to these children. This lady had been a carer for 30 years and had had over 100 children in her home.
One day I was visiting her and she had a baby boy in her arms who was only 18 months old. This little boy had been in care for less than 24 hours, had the worst cold I have ever seen and had arrived in foster care in the middle of January with a Coles bag full of winter clothes. The reason he had winter clothes was to cover up his precious body, which was covered in bruises. He had big brown eyes, and if the eyes are the window to the soul, then his little soul had experienced far too much already. He broke my heart.
I knew in that moment that I wanted to do something for kids in foster care.”
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