When 9-year-old Tom* turned up for his first day at his new school earlier this month, he couldn’t face entering the classroom due to anxiety. The next day he tried again, only this time he was accompanied by Millie, his education therapy dog. Millie reduced Tom’s anxiety enough for him to take his first steps into his new class.
For some children, school isn’t an easy place to be. This is especially true for children living in residential or foster care, who may be dealing with complex issues beyond the school gate that affect their capacity to learn.
Every year, MacKillop Family Services supports hundreds of at-risk children living in Melbourne’s west to engage in education through its Specialist School in Maidstone and education outreach services. But few programs have had the impact of PawPals, a canine-assisted learning program introduced as a pilot program last year.
16-year-old Laura* is one of the beneficiaries of the program.
“I never really liked school because of the bullying,” she said. “My emotional state was so bad I couldn’t focus. I tried to push through, but it got really difficult.
“Working with Millie has made me feel much safer and more confident. I used to be so quiet, and in a shell that I didn’t want to come out of. But knowing that Millie can come with me has made me feel like I can do anything. When I’m with Millie, I forget about everything bad and I can just focus on learning.”
PawPals has been so successful, that demand has already exceeded capacity. So, on Wednesday 6 March, MacKillop is holding a matched giving day – Paws 4 Kids – to expand the program. Paws 4 Kids is a 24-hour campaign where key supporters have agreed to multiply all donations by 4 to help reach a fundraising goal of $200,000. The funds raised will allow MacKillop to deliver canine-assisted learning support to 500 children.
Anne Henderson, the Principal of the MacKillop Specialist School, says the impact of PawPals on children who find it difficult to engage with learning has been remarkable.
“Kids need to feel safe and happy before they can begin to learn, and we know from the research that therapy dogs can help them to stay relaxed in situations they can sometimes find confronting,” she said.
“But to see the impact firsthand has been extraordinary. One young man who previously refused to open his door to our education workers gets so excited about Millie’s visits that he plans in advance what books he will read to her, while another teenager who hadn’t been to school for months has developed an interest in photography and is designing a calendar featuring the pictures she has taken of Millie.”
18-year-old Ella, who spent time as a teenager in residential and foster care, said hearing about the program caused her to reflect on her own challenges with education while living in out of home care.
"Although I loved to learn, all of my interests were dampened by the constant change and lack of stability within the household and going to school was the last thing I felt like doing.
"There is so much going on in your life and sometimes you need help to stay calm and relaxed. When you are with an animal like Millie, no words have to be spoken. You can just be. That is so important when you are growing up in out of home care, and I’m really excited to be part of this campaign because I know how beneficial a dog therapy program could be for kids that have had similar experiences to me"
For 24 hours on Wednesday 6 March 2019, MacKillop Family Services is holding Paws 4 Kids matched giving day to raise $200,000. Donations received on the day will be multiplied by four from generous corporate matchers so that, if someone donates $25 it will be turned into a $100 donation to maximise the impact of the program.
Matchers include: Senator Tadeusz Kobylanski Fund, a charitable fund account of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Bob Stewart, Queensland Community Foundation’s Gordon Homes for Boys and Girls and Pawprints Matching Circle.
To find out more about Paws 4 Kids, visit www.paws4kids.org.au or visit the MacKillop website
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*names changed to protect privacy
