Get comfy and stay in your pyjamas this Friday

Published Wednesday, 18 July, 2018 at 08:38 AM

JOINT STATEMENT

Minister for Education and Minister for Industrial Relations
The Honourable Grace Grace

Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence
The Honourable Di Farmer

Staying in your pyjamas all day sounds too good to be true, but two Queensland Ministers are encouraging all Queenslanders to do just that to support The Pyjama Foundation on Friday 20 July.

Minister for Child Safety Di Farmer today teamed up with Minister for Education Grace Grace to put the call out for everyone to do their bit on National Pyjama Day.

“The Pyjama Foundation does incredible work in our communities, helping vulnerable children learn to love learning and reading and this is such an easy way you can support them,” Ms Farmer said.

“It’s so easy, and comfy! All you have to do is wear your favourite pair of pyjamas to school, work or out and about and make a donation to The Pyjama Foundation.

“All of the funding raised helps support the Pyjama Foundation including the Love of Learning program which encourages children to read and helps the foundation to recruit, train and support Pyjama Angels who visit children in foster and kinship care.”

Education Minister Grace Grace said the work of Pyjama Foundation volunteers was nothing short of inspiring.

“These amazing people give up their own time to help vulnerable children with reading, literacy and other skills,” Ms Grace said.

“By doing this, the volunteers encourage children to love learning.

“We want every child in Queensland to have equal opportunities and a bright future, and the work of the Pyjama Angels is helping us to achieve this.”

This year, the State Government is providing significant funding to The Pyjama Foundation in to deliver the Love of Learning Program.

The Department of Child Safety provides annual funding of $346,964, which will continue until December 2022.

The Department of education provided $180,000 in one-off funding to support the program in 2018, and today Ms Grace announced a further $100,000 in funding for 2019.

“This funding will further enhance the Love of Learning program, which is the only service of its type supporting children in care with evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs in an out-of-school environment here in Australia,” Ms Farmer said.

“It’s vital that we continue to support The Pyjama Foundation and volunteers who are screened, trained, recruited and matched with a child in care.”

The Pyjama Foundation founder Bronwyn Sheehan said children in care needed extra support and empowerment to help them towards a brighter future.

“Many children in care bounce from home to home and to different schools, which greatly hinders their learning,” Ms Sheehan said.

“At The Pyjama Foundation we recruit, screen and train volunteer mentors, and then carefully match them with a child in care.

“Together, they focus on learning-based activities and games, with the aim of improving the child’s educational outcomes and confidence.”

Funds raised from Pyjama Day will go towards the recruitment and training of more Pyjama Angels as well as learning resources for the children including books, puzzles and educational games.

Last year more than 1,700 participants donned their Pyjamas and raised a total $250,000.

The Foundation hopes to grow this number and help more children in care receive the educational support they urgently need.

To get involved in National Pyjama Day visit http://thepyjamafoundation.com.

ENDS

 

Minister Farmer contact:     Ron Goodman – 0427 781 920

Minister Grace contact:       Emma Clarey – 0439 578 472