Mater Dei Organisation Information

Established in 1957, Mater Dei is a unique organisation that provides education, therapy and residential services to children and young people with developmental delay or intellectual disability. We have been very proudly contributing to the field of special education for over 50 years and continue to grow each year. Operating within our beautiful grounds of Camden, Mater Dei is a co-educational Catholic Congregational school for students K-12 located in the Wollongong Diocese. We are also a proud member of the ten Colleges who together comprise Good Samaritan Education. Of these colleges, we are the only one with a focus on special education. Mater Dei also provides Early Childhood Education services and programs for children from birth to 3 years presenting with developmental delay and/or disability. Our weekly Learn to Play and Play to Learn Groups support parents and carers gain a deeper understanding of their children’s social, emotional and cognitive development whilst assisting families to navigate an appropriate Early Childhood Early Intervention Pathway leading to Preschool placements with a goal to participating for 600 hours in the year before they commence Kindergarten. Our unique NextPath Program, located in Narellan is for young adults who have completed their time in secondary school. It provides tailored programs and ongoing learning opportunities and therapy services based on each students individual goals. A testimony to its success, the program has grown each year since its inception and as an enrollment of 57 students in 2020.