MacKillop Family Services continues the proud tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of St Joseph and Edmund Rice Education Australia and remains committed to empowering children, young people and families.
The founders of each of these orders, Catherine McAuley, Mary MacKillop and Edmund Rice, believed that to give expression to their faith and values at the heart of the Catholic tradition, they should respond to and support those most in need. They each recognised that access to education was critical to the creation of a more just and humane society.
MacKillop Family Services was the amalgamation of seven child and welfare agencies managed by the Christian Brothers, the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of St Joseph.
In 1997, MacKillop Family Services launched with over 100 individual services delivering residential care, foster care, education, disability and family support across Melbourne and Geelong.