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You can sponsor an Australian child today

The cost of living continues to climb, Australian children experiencing disadvantage need you now more than ever

One in six Australian children and young people are growing up in poverty1, where even the bare necessities are hard to come by. In a family where there is no regular income, money goes on food, rent and bills. Finding money for a school uniform, proper shoes, textbooks or the next school excursion is often impossible.

Right now, 15,000 children are waiting for sponsors. Please help them receive the support they need at this critical time.


The cycle of disadvantage - family challenges lead to reduced educational outcomes for children, difficulty getting a job and overall life outcomes impacted
For $55 a month, your sponsorship combined with that of another sponsor, will provide a child with the learning essentials they need such as books, stationery and data, so they don't fall even further behind.
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*Important: From 1 January 2025, the cost of sponsorship will change from $55 to $58 per month. This supports families with the rising costs of school essentials and ensures students can continue to access the personalised support and tailored learning programs they need to make the most of their education. For more information, please review our Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

For $55 a month, your sponsorship can provide a child with:

School essentials

Financial support to pay for stationery, backpacks, shoes and a complete school uniform, as well as school books and extra-curricular activities like school excursions.

Local, personalised support

Your sponsored child will be paired with one of our Learning for Life Coordinators who offers support with their schooling and links them to local learning opportunities.

Access to additional learning support

Ongoing access to our out-of-school learning and mentoring programs to help students build the skills to thrive at school and beyond.

Your child sponsorship support in action

The Learning for Life sponsorship program recognises that disadvantaged children need extra support to stay at school and go on to further studies or employment.

So when a student is sponsored through The Smith Family, as well as financial assistance with purchasing school essentials, the student’s family is also paired with a Learning for Life Coordinator. The Learning for Life Coordinator offers students encouragement and support with their schooling; links students and their families to learning and mentoring programs in their community and helps children and young people to fully participate in their education.

Did you know you can choose the age of the child you wish to sponsor?

Right now, we have 4,152 children in Years 8 and 9 (aged between 13 and 14) who need a sponsor. With a greater emphasis on independent study and more complex subjects to tackle, adjusting to high school can be especially challenging. Please consider sponsoring a Year 8 or 9 child today.
$55 / month Tax deductible
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Read our latest Annual Report for fundraising efficiency and sponsorship program effectiveness.

All of your sponsorship benefits your sponsored child by providing them with the financial and education support to build the strong foundations only an education can provide so they can change their tomorrow.
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On average, children growing up in disadvantaged homes are two to three years behind their more advantaged peers

The impacts of poverty are severe and far reaching. When they start school, many children in disadvantaged families are behind in basic reading and math skills2, lacking the essentials they need to fully participate in their education. Without the skills they need to keep up in class, these students can fall even further behind, making it more difficult for them to stay engaged and motivated at school.

Without early intervention, these children can fall so far behind it is almost impossible to catch up.

As a sponsor you'll receive

A welcome pack with information about your sponsorship

 You can find all the information about the impact of your support

A student profile by your sponsored child

A student profile completed by your student to share information about their interests and favourite subjects.

Annual tax-deductible receipt

A tax-deductible receipt issued annually for your sponsorship donations.

As a sponsor you can

Access your personalised My Smith Family portal online

Access your giving history and information about your student via our secure online portal.

Correspond with your student at any time

Opportunity to write to your student and on their birthday you can send them a card.

Stay up-to-date with stories from students and families

Regular supporter newsletters with stories from students and families involved in our programs across Australia.

Hear more sponsorship experiences

Sponsorship Frequently Asked Questions

“Sponsorship is a chance for me to say, well, here’s one child that won’t miss out.”
Paul, Child Sponsor
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* Molly’s name, family details and associated images have been changed to protect their family’s identity.
1 Poverty in Australia, 2020, ACOSS/UNSW Report.
2 Thomson et al, 2011, Challenges for Australian Education: Results from PISA 2009.