By Casey Neill
Hundreds of children in Greater Dandenong and Casey need help to stay in school.
The Smith Family is appealing for 6000 new Learning for Life sponsors across the country in the lead-up to school returning for the year.
The program supports 1017 students across Greater Dandenong and Casey where a dedicated team of co-ordinators works directly with students, parents and schools and provides links to essential services.
Sponsors also fund text books, uniforms and other equipment and access to The Smith Family’s learning support and mentoring programs.
The Smith Family’s Victorian general manager Anton Leschen said his team was experiencing an influx of calls from desperate parents.
“The truth is the costs of a child’s educational essentials are out of reach for many disadvantaged families,” he said.
The independent children’s education charity priced school essentials for one primary school-aged child at $2400 per year.
“When a child doesn’t have the basics they need for school they can feel different and isolated,” Mr Leschen said.
“The consequences can be serious – they can become disengaged over time and are at risk of dropping out of school.
“And that’s a real concern because we know that education is a pathway out of poverty.
“If we want to prevent disadvantaged children from the lifelong effects of hardship, the best thing we can do is support them to succeed at school and complete their education.”
The Smith Family already supports 33,000 children across the country but wants to add a further 24,000 by 2020.
“Many people associate child sponsorship with third-world aid, but the reality is there are 1.1 million children and young people living in poverty right here in Australia,” Mr Leschen said.
“We are talking about Australian children who are growing up in low income homes where affording life’s basics is a daily struggle.
“These children are likely to live in single parent homes and their families may also be dealing with long-term illness, disability, limited education or unemployment.
“For just $1.60 per day, child sponsors will give a disadvantaged child practical, long-term assistance that they need to attend school, engage in their learning and complete Year 12.”
Figures show that 84.2 per cent of Learning for Life graduates who left in Years 10 to 12 were engaged in work and/or study 12 months after leaving the program.
Of the remaining 16 per cent, four in five were actively seeking employment and one in six was volunteering.
Call 1800 633 622 or visit thesmithfamily.com.au for more information about sponsoring a child.
