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New Breaking Poverty podcast

06 October 2020

In 1987, then Prime Minister Bob Hawke made the infamous promise: “By 1990, no Australian child will be
living in poverty.” Sadly, that promise remains unfulfilled with 1.2 million Australian children still living in
poverty today – and now Australia is in recession.

Investigative journalist Adam Shand has taken a look at what is really happening in Australia and explores
how education is playing a important role in helping break the poverty cycle.

Working closely with national children’s education charity The Smith Family, this two part feature podcast
called Breaking Poverty, has Shand interview students, carers and The Smith Family CEO Dr Lisa O’Brien.
Together, they discuss the effects of child poverty and the impact it has on education, mental health and
the future of Australia’s youth – especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over increasing
poverty in Australia.

The podcast demonstrates the positive effect that educational support can have on a child’s confidence and
their mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. One of the stories features Melbourne-based student Emily,
who has been supported by The Smith Family since 2006, when she was in Year four. After being given a
hand up through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program, Emily has been accepted into Melbourne Law
School to follow her dream to become a human rights lawyer.

Shand said: “When the COVID-19 support programs come to an end there will be a $31 billion hole in the
national economy. Now is the time Australians need to support our children to get the best education
possible and meet the challenges of the future. Many families need a hand up not a handout, an investment
towards self-sufficiency and self-confidence.

“Everyone’s aspirations are the same. Children are adaptable, and this has been proven by COVID-19 and
online learning. How do we address this? There is only so much the government can do; we need
engagement from private donors.”

The Smith Family CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching our first ever podcast, Breaking
Poverty, produced by PodcastOne Australia. With one in six Australian children and young people living in
disadvantage even before the outbreak of COVID-19, this is a hard-hitting and necessary look at the problem
of poverty, how it impacts our nation's young people, and why together we need to act to address this issue.”

“I often think about how fragile life is when I meet families living in disadvantage and hear their stories.
Through this podcast, Australians can bear witness to those stories too. This year, more than any other, has
showed us how it can be just one or two life events that can push people into poverty.

“Our organisation has been working with children and families in need for nearly 100 years. We’re dedicated
to helping them break the cycle of poverty through supporting young people’s education,” said Dr O’Brien

Listen to Breaking Poverty on PodcastOne Australia or wherever you download your podcasts.

For more information please contact:

Natasha Surdich
Media Advisor
The Smith Family
M 0431 525 989
Email natasha.surdich@thesmithfamily.com.au

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