The Shepherd Centre helps children who are deaf or hearing impaired to learn how to listen and speak. Founded in 1970, with just five families, The Shepherd Centre now helps over 220 families in our five centres across NSW and the ACT. The organisation is recognised as a leader in the field of Auditory-Verbal Therapy, providing assistance to parents of children who are deaf and hearing impaired to develop spoken language, so that they can reach their full potential and be a fully contributing member of the community. The Shepherd Centre has assisted over 1,500 children and their families over the last 40 years. Ninety per cent of children graduate from The Shepherd Centre and enter mainstream schooling and the vast majority have age-appropriate speech and language. Support from the individuals and businesses in the community provides almost 75% of the much needed funds to provide these life-changing programs.