Strengthening Student Wellbeing: Paw Pals Extends Reach in Ballarat
July 10, 2025

In 2025, MacKillop Family Services will launch its first Paw Pals School Holiday Program in Ballarat; an expansion of the animal-assisted education initiative that has been quietly transforming the lives of students across Victoria since 2018. 

 

The holiday program will complement Paw Pals’ existing school-based sessions by offering a more relaxed and engaging environment for students to continue developing emotional confidence, resilience and learning skills outside of the traditional classroom setting. 

With growing rates of school refusal, classroom disruption, and learning challenges, particularly in the wake of COVID, this added layer of support is both timely and essential. 

“We’re seeing young people struggling to stay engaged in the classroom, increasing diagnoses of ADHD, ADD, anxiety and intellectual disorders, and many still scrambling to catch up on learning lost due to COVID. The opportunity to support students in a less structured, therapeutic setting will be invaluable."


Kathleen Anderson
Ballarat PawPals Facilitator

Currently, Paw Pals operates group programs in schools for students in Years 3 to 8, designed to meet a range of learning and behavioural needs. Delivered in partnership with Catholic schools, government and independent schools, the program uses trained facilitators and therapy dogs to support engagement and wellbeing. In addition, one-on-one sessions are available for young people who benefit from more individualised care, particularly those experiencing social and emotional challenges, or living in foster care, out-of-home care, or at home in vulnerable circumstances. 

 

Since launching Paw Pals in Ballarat in 2022, the program has been embraced by 17 schools and supported more than 150 students. It reflects MacKillop’s deep commitment to trauma-informed practice and its focus on helping young people remain connected to education and community. ï»¿

Nature's Symphony

CDF Relationship Managers Gerard and Maxine with PawPals facilitator Susan Podesta and Therapy Dog, Pebbles 

Button

Faces of Humanity

CDF Relationship Managers Gerard and Maxine with Mackillop Family Services CEO Dr.Robyn Miller and Diocese of Ballarat Foundation Executive Officer Ross Wheatlan at the 2025 PawPals Campaign Launch 

Button

CDF has been proud to support the Paw Pals program for the past four years, as part of a broader and long-standing partnership with MacKillop Family Services. 

 

The 2025 School Holiday Program will be delivered with the support of CDF, Diocese of Ballarat Foundation and through the generosity of the community. It’s designed to further the benefits of the standard school program by creating a more playful, flexible setting where students can build self-confidence and develop the skills to work more independently. 

 

To learn more or to support the 2025 Paw Pals Appeal, visit: give.mackillop.org.au/paw-pals-appeal-2025 

To help CDF continue to meet strong loan demand from the Catholic community, you too can put your faith in action and save for a greater reward than money alone. Not only will you earn a competitive rate of interest, but your savings will assist initiatives like MacKillop Family Services Paw Pals, and other Catholic organisations to continue the work the Gospel calls on them to do. Learn more and apply today.

Share this article:

Related articles

First of many: CDF supports opening of new MACSEYE Children’s Hub

By Michelle Ross-FitzGerald • May 11, 2026
In the fast-growing suburb of Weir Views, Melton, a new chapter in Catholic early learning has begun. The St Lawrence of Brindisi Children's Hub has officially opened; the first of 12 purpose-built Children's Hubs that MACSEYE plans to deliver across Melbourne by 2029, and a significant milestone in the effort to bring high-quality early learning to families in some of the city's most rapidly expanding communities. CDF has been proud to support MACSEYE since its inception in 2024, providing vital operational support as it scales to meet growing demand while empowering children so they can contribute to a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.

Honouring the Past, Building the Future at St Augustine's Creswick

By Hillaria Juliana • May 8, 2026
In the heart of Creswick - a historic gold rush town nestled in Victoria's central highlands, just 16 kilometres north of Ballarat - St Augustine's Primary School has been a cornerstone of community life for over 170 years. Established in 1855 to meet the needs of families during the Gold Rush, the school has grown and evolved across generations while remaining anchored in its Catholic faith and its deep sense of place. Today, St Augustine's is home to 144 students from Foundation to Year 6. Committed to the holistic development of students, the school focuses not just on academic excellence but on social and emotional wellbeing; and it does so as an integral part of the wider St Augustine's Parish and the Creswick community it has served for so long. Now, thanks to a $3.6 million redevelopment supported by CDF, the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Ltd (DOBCEL), and the Federal Government, this much-loved school is stepping confidently into its next chapter.

Helping Children Feel Safe to Learn with MacKillop Family Services

April 17, 2026
For some children, the classroom can feel overwhelming. Anxiety, trauma, learning challenges or difficult life experiences can make it hard to concentrate, participate or feel safe at school. For these students, reconnecting with learning often requires more than traditional support approaches. Since 2018, MacKillop Family Services’ Paw Pals program has quietly been helping students take meaningful steps forward, one gentle interaction at a time. Through the presence of specially trained therapy dogs and skilled facilitators, Paw Pals creates safe and supportive environments where children can regulate emotions, rebuild trust and re-engage with learning. For the past five years, CDF has proudly partnered with MacKillop Family Services to support the continued growth of this program across schools.
More

CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has indemnified the Catholic Development Fund ABN 15 274 943 760 (the Fund) against any liability arising out of a claim by investors in the Fund. In practice, this means your investment is backed by the assets of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Fund is required by law to make the following disclosure. Investment in the Fund is only intended to attract investors whose primary purpose for making their investment is to support the charitable purposes of the Fund. Investors’ funds will be used to generate a return to the Fund that will be applied to further the charitable works of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale and Bunbury. The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by ASIC. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and investments in the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed here or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.