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.
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Child Sponsorship
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Life is full of challenges for students in need

Students on programs

15 July 2019

Last year, 143,648 children and young people took part in our learning programs and mentoring. And we supported 42,841 students through sponsorship. Each student has a unique set of circumstances that leads them to needing support. Often it is a combination of challenges that pile up and limit their educational opportunities and outcomes.

What challenges do disadvantaged students face?

Today in Australia, 1.2 million children and young people are living in poverty.¹ Here are some of the complex challenges they can experience:

How do we meet these challenges?

We know that lasting change takes long-term support. We begin working with families when their children are in the early years, so children can start school with strong learning foundations.

Our sponsorship and program support continues throughout a young person’s school years and on to tertiary education, if they choose. At every step, we help students to realise their potential and access opportunities for their futures. And we work closely with parents and carers, as they play a critical role in supporting their children’s confidence, motivation and aspirations.

It is thanks to the ongoing generosity of our sponsors, donors and volunteers that we can address these issues and help disadvantaged children create a better future.

1.Davidson P, Saunders P, Bradbury B, & Wong M (2018) Poverty in Australia, 2018. ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership Report, No. 2. Sydney: ACOSS.