Help provide vital educational support to 11,705 Australian children this Christmas.

Our Programs
- Literacy programs
  Providing resources and support to help children living with disadvantage achieve the required reading standard.
- Technology programs
  Providing children and young people living with disadvantage with the critical skills, access, and equipment they need.
- Numeracy programs
  We support early years educators and community professionals in building foundational math skills in children under their care.
- Learning for Life
  Providing holistic, long-term support for disadvantaged young Australians throughout their education.
- Mentoring programs
  Mentoring programs for students living with disadvantage that provide the encouragement they need to build aspirations for their future.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs
  Our work engages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in learning through education, life skills and role models, promoting culturally responsive practice.
Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs
Get Involved
- Ways to fundraise
  Learn about fundraising and give back to the community with The Smith Family.
- Volunteer with us
  Share your skills to help Australian children in need transform their lives through education.
- Partnerships
  Learn how your organisation can partner with The Smith Family and help build a better future for Australian children in need.
- Careers
  We aim to provide a working environment where staff and volunteers have the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
- Events
  Participate in events and activities that support young Australians experiencing disadvantage.
- VIEW clubs of Australia
  Learn about VIEW, a leading women’s volunteer organisation and support network with over 16,000 members, across Australia.
Ways to Give
- Sponsor a child
  Through child sponsorship, you will be matched to an Australian child in need, helping to support the cost of their school essentials.
- A gift in your will
  Ensure that future generations of Australian children have the support they need to make the most of their education.
- Monthly donation
  Become a monthly donor and provide continual support throughout all stages of a child’s education.
- Philanthropic giving
  Through your philanthropy, you can ensure that young Australians impacted by poverty get the education that all children deserve.
- Single donation
  Your donation will help young Australians in need by providing access to our Learning for Life education support programs.
- Workplace giving
  Making small, regular donations to The Smith Family through Workplace Giving is an easy way to help change the lives of young Australians living in poverty.
Login
Child Sponsorship
Donate now

Donate now

Education costs 'unaffordable' for Australian families new survey

Media releases

15 January 2019

Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of Australians say children’s education costs are unaffordable for many families, according to a new survey¹ commissioned by The Smith Family.

The survey of more than 1,000 Australians also found an overwhelming majority (84 per cent) do not want to see children missing out on educational opportunities because their family can’t afford it; while three-quarters of respondents (76 per cent) said children in struggling families should be given extra assistance for uniforms, books and excursions to ensure they aren’t disadvantaged at school. Community attitudes survey: Child poverty and education in Australia [PDF]

As families prepare for a new school year, The Smith Family CEO Dr Lisa O’Brien said it is one of the charity’s busiest times with parents and carers seeking help for their children’s education.

“The new year can be a stressful time for low-income families. With children starting back at school, the costs can really add up,” Dr O’Brien said.

“No parent wants their child to start the school year feeling isolated from their peers because they don’t have a decent uniform, school bag or shoes. They don’t want their kids feeling left out from school activities because they can’t afford sport or excursions.”

Dr O’Brien said the deepening ‘digital divide’ in Australia is compounding the challenges for students whose families can’t afford the technology they need for school. A recent Australian study ² of high school students confirmed many young people are going without these essential tools.

“These days, parents also have to factor in the costs of technology for their children’s education – things like laptops and internet access. For many families these can be quite unaffordable. “We know, for example, that nearly a third of the students on our sponsorship program don’t have a computer at home that’s connected to the internet. We hear of students struggling to keep up at school because they don’t have the tools they need to study or get their homework done,” Dr O’Brien said.

Australia’s ‘hidden’ poverty

The survey also found most Australians underestimate the extent of child poverty in Australia. While just over a third (35 per cent) correctly said one in six Australian children are living in poverty, around two-thirds (65 per cent) thought the rate was much lower.

Respondents overwhelmingly said they did not feel well informed about child poverty in Australia; only one in five people (21 per cent) felt they were. But a majority (73 per cent) believe we all have a responsibility to do something about it.

“Sometimes we hear people say that Australia doesn’t really have a child poverty problem. Yet the latest figures show there are 1.1 million young Australians under the age of 24 ³ who are living below the poverty line,” Dr O’Brien said.

“People don’t see the ‘hidden’ poverty that exists behind closed doors and in our classrooms, which can see children and families dealing with extraordinary challenges just to get through each day.”

As a new school year begins, The Smith Family is asking the community to consider sponsoring an Australian child in need to help with the cost of school essentials and out-of-school learning support. Through referrals from partner schools, the charity currently has more than 4,000 children in financially stressed households who are urgently in need of a sponsor. Children on the sponsorship program are also connected with a Smith Family coordinator who takes the time to understand the child’s specific needs, ensuring they receive appropriate assistance.

“Supporting a child to have a quality education is one of the best ways we can help them to break the cycle of disadvantage. At The Smith Family, we support thousands of disadvantaged students on our sponsorship program who would otherwise be missing out on the basics every child needs to learn.

“We commonly hear from our sponsored students what a difference it makes to their lives knowing someone out there in the community cares enough to support their education. Our work over many years has also shown this long-term support can vastly improve the outcomes of these students,”Dr O’Brien said.

How sponsorship works

Children sponsored through The Smith Family are helped in three ways:

Financial assistance for education essentials, including uniforms, books and excursions.
Targeted personal support from a Smith Family coordinator.
Access to a range of out-of-school learning and mentoring programs, such as the student2student reading program and after-school Learning Clubs.

Sponsorship starts from $52 per month for a child in primary school – that’s $1.70 per day. To sponsor a disadvantaged Australian child and support their education, visit thesmithfamily.com.au/sponsor

Media Enquiries: National Media Manager - Jacqui Ooi | 0487 900 131 | jacqui.ooi@thesmithfamily.com.au

¹ Weekly omnibus conducted by Essential Research with data provided by Your Source. The survey was conducted online from 15 to 18 November 2018 and is based on 1,027 respondents answering questions on child poverty and education in Australia.
² Saunders, P. et al (2018). Material Deprivation and Social Exclusion Among Young Australians: A child-focused approach (SPRC Report 24/18). Sydney: Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney.DOI: http://doi.org/10.26190/5bd2aacfb0112
³ Davidson, P. et al (2018), Poverty in Australia, 2018. ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership Report No. 2, Sydney: ACOSS.

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au