Changing the story for foster kids in Moreton Bay
Twenty-two years ago, Bronwyn Sheehan OAM was a nurse and a mum who saw firsthand the magic of reading aloud to her own children from babyhood. She watched their imaginations ignite, priming them for school long before they ever entered a classroom.
A chance encounter at a primary school birthday party completely shattered her worldview. Bronwyn met a local foster carer who had opened her home to over a hundred children. During the visit, Bronwyn met an 18-month-old baby boy who had just entered the system. He was terrified, shivering with a dreadful cold, and had arrived with nothing of his own except a bag of heavy winter clothes used to conceal the marks on his tiny body.
"I thought, how can this happen in my suburb, and what can we do as a community to contribute?"
Bronwyn knew she had to act. She decided to trial her idea with that very same little boy, visiting him every week to read aloud and play. Watching him blossom proved her theory: if you can instil a love of learning in a vulnerable child, it is a gift they carry for life.
With that successful first trial, The Pyjama Foundation was officially born in Brisbane. Today, operating from their national headquarters just down the road at Banyo, that vision has touched nearly 20,000 foster children. The foundation has trained over 15,000 volunteer "Pyjama Angels" across Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, with 1,300 kids receiving dedicated weekly mentoring.
A masterplan driven by need
The Pyjama Foundation was born to close the educational gap between foster children and their peers. While the flagship 'Love of Learning' program originally focused on early literacy before school, the reality of the system forced a quick pivot.
“Referrals would say, ‘Can you read to this kid that’s in grade seven, but reads at year two?’" Bronwyn says. "We quickly changed to support children of all ages."
Bronwyn is proud about the scale. Did she ever think it would become this big? "Yes, I did.” She smiles. “That was my original plan. As a matter of fact, I feel like I'm behind schedule."
Beyond the books: the fight for consistency
While the program boosts literacy and numeracy through educational games, the true magic lies in permanence. For a child in care, life is a revolving door of shifting caseworkers, schools, and homes.
A Pyjama Angel is the one constant, showing up every week just for them.
"The children sometimes ask, ‘How much do you get paid to do this, and will you come back next week?’"
Children often push back as a protective mechanism to shield themselves from rejection. Bronwyn’s own daughter volunteered for a little girl who repeatedly told her to stay away. But she stayed steady, and simply said, "I'll see you next week." That girl is now in Grade 12, and they still catch up today.
How to Help
The reality hits close to home. Right now, there are an estimated 800 children living in foster care across Moreton Bay, with 118 children currently on the waitlist, waiting for their person to turn up.
To bridge this gap, locals are urged to consider if they have the space in their hearts to become a Pyjama Angel, and be that steady, reliable presence for a child in care in our community.
"We look for non-judgmental people who display empathy, love children, and know how to play a good game of Uno," Bronwyn notes.
The commitment is simple but powerful: just one hour a week to spend quality time with a child. Through board games, Lego, craft, and of course reading, volunteers build trust and teach vital skills. While the foundation asks for a minimum commitment of 12 months to ensure consistency for the child, the average volunteering length is three and a half years, and many last decades. One long-serving volunteer began mentoring her person at age six. Today, he is 27, and they still see each other weekly.
If you can’t commit to weekly volunteering, you can be like Morayfield Red Panda Gym and host a Pyjama Day at your home, work or school. Health Hub Morayfield have hosted a fundraising Pyjama Day for the past few years, and will be hosting again this year. You change a life by supporting National Pyjama Day on 24th July, and throughout August. This vital fundraising campaign helps the foundation screen, recruit and train more Pyjama Angels to clear the waitlist.
As Bronwyn proved 22 years ago with one little boy, it only takes one person showing up every week to completely rewrite a child’s future. In Moreton Bay, there are 118 stories waiting for their next chapter to begin, and one of them might be waiting for you.
This article was brought to you by our Community Correspondent, Stacey MacMillan-White.
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Discover local opportunities: To see how you can volunteer or fundraise for The Pyjama Foundation right here in our community, visit their profile on How to Help.
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