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Poverty is locking young people out of the benefits of technology.
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The Smith Family

Who we are

The Problem

Today, there are more than 1.2m Australian children and young people living in poverty1.
Students experiencing disadvantage are more than 2 years behind in reading and maths by the time they are in Year 9.2
Students experiencing disadvantage have a 30% lower Year 12 completion rate.3

Making a difference

Last year, 162,534 disadvantaged children and young people received support through Smith Family programs.
Last year, we supported 62,822 Australian students through our Learning for Life sponsorships.
Last year, 95% of children in our student2student reading program improved their reading age.

Sponsoring a child delivers the best educational outcomes

85.7% school attendance rate for primary school age Learning for Life students.
66% of Learning for Life students advance from year 10 to completing year 12.
85% of Learning for Life students engaged in employment, education or training, two and a half years after leaving school.

Latest News

 2024 NAPLAN results show there is no time to wait for urgent education reforms.
14 August 2024
Locked out of learning: poverty limits access to essential digital skills and tools for youth
05 August 2024
New data shows cost of living squeeze means families are struggling to afford schoolbooks, lunches and uniforms.
01 August 2024
The Smith Family celebrates the unique contributions and diversity of its volunteers this National Volunteer Week.
21 May 2024

We are committed to child safety

More Stories

Talon learnt about careers he didn't even know existed.

The support James received had a life-changing impact

Roghayeh is now a budding human rights lawyer

Information about cyber security, including the incident that occurred in November 2022 and how to access support is available here.