Pyjama Angels are saints who let you stay in your PJs all day, right? Wrong. In fact, they are volunteers from the community who are screened, trained and supported to create positive relationships with children in care. This in turn empowers the children to learn, establish life skills and grow their confidence.

Currently there are more than 53,000 children in Australia living in foster care - more than double the number from 10 years ago. Only 13 per cent of these kids will complete their VCE without further support and it is estimated that half of those who are required to leave care at 18 will either be homeless, in prison or a new parent within their first 12 months of being out on their own.

This is where this angelic charity comes into play. It implements the Love of Learning Program, a learning-based mentoring program for children in care. These cherubs visit foster children in their home for about an hour a week and focus on teaching them basic numeracy, and how to read and write. This is complemented and reinforced with love and support to make sure that children in the system don’t fall behind academically.

The Pyjama Foundation is the only service of its type supporting children in care. More than 5000 Pyjama Angels have been trained since 2004, and you can be one too. With many Peninsula events occurring, there’s no excuse to not rock your onesie on the street to support the cause.

Have you seen football players wearing pyjamas to training? Well, on Thursday, July 20, you can tick it off your bucket list as you watch the Chelsea Heights football team run around the oval in their flannies and fluffy dressing gowns during night training.

Beach Lane in Carrum will hold its seventh Seasonal Festival on July 21-23, with the theme “Happy Healthy Families”. This event will support the Pyjama Foundation’s National Pyjama Day on Friday, July 21, and gold coin donations will be collected over the whole weekend. On National Pyjama Day everyone is invited to wear their pyjamas to a movie night. The Pyjama Angels will also provide a wide range of kids’ activities in the café on July 22.

Thousands of schools, businesses and community groups will be encouraged to stay in their PJs on July 21 to show support for The Pyjama Foundation’s work with Australian children in foster care.

You don’t even have to dress up for the occasion, just come on down.

For more information and to register for Pyjama Day head to www.thepyjamafoundation.com