About 740 students in the Orana Region were supported through The Smith Family’s flagship Learning for Life program during the 2024/25 financial year, with the charity partnering with about 10 local schools to help children facing disadvantage stay engaged in their education.

The regional figures come as The Smith Family launches its 2026 Back to School Appeal, warning cost-of-living pressures are leaving many Australian families worried they cannot afford essential items for the new school year, according to its latest Pulse Survey.

More than four in five families surveyed said they were concerned about affording everything their children need for school, with digital devices and basic items such as shoes and uniforms among the most common worries.

The Smith Family chief executive officer Doug Taylor said a lack of essential school items can have serious consequences for students’ confidence and learning.

“From the moment students step through the school gate on their first day, not having the correct shoes or uniform can make them feel different and severely impact their confidence,” Mr Taylor said.

“Meanwhile, lack of access to items such as digital devices – which are now essential, particularly for high school – often leaves students unable to fully participate in their education today and locks them out of the workforce tomorrow,” he said.

The 2026 appeal aims to secure more than 3500 new sponsors nationally so additional children can access the Learning for Life scholarship program, which provides financial assistance for education essentials as well as tailored personal support.

The Smith Family says education support remains critical, with one in six Australian children growing up in poverty and students experiencing disadvantage potentially falling four to five years behind their peers by Year 9.