Affinity boosts commitment to The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) provider Affinity Education Group has increased its commitment to Australian charity The Smith Family, with 236 individual child sponsorships now being actively supported on behalf of centres around Australia. 

The Smith Family offers child sponsorship to Australian children through its Learning for Life program, which acknowledges the importance of additional support for children facing disadvantages, recognising that such support is essential for maintaining their engagement in education.

Learning for Life helps children create better futures for themselves by providing:

• Financial assistance from a sponsor to help families meet the cost of school essentials like uniforms, books and excursions.
• Support from a Learning for Life Program Coordinator to connect the child and their family to local learning opportunities and other supports.
• Access to The Smith Family out-of-school mentoring and educational programs to help children get the most out of their school years.

The decision to support The Smith Family, Affinity CEO Tim Hickey explained, came as part of a commitment by Affinity to broaden its corporate social responsibility strategy through a national commitment aligned with the company’s values and employee feedback received in 2022.

“Our Affinity Commitment to The Smith Family is ‘one child sponsored for every centre operated” Mr Hickey said.

With a new batch of services recently joining the Affinity network, the Group’s commitment to The Smith Family has grown, with Kids Academy Mickleham, Kids Academy Waratah Estate and Kids Academy Melton in Victoria among those who are thrilled to sponsor a disadvantaged child.  

“Our promise – potential, realised – aligns strongly with The Smith Family vision for a world where every child has the opportunity to change their future,” Mr Hickey said.

“Our Lifelong Learning Curriculum, which aims to grow and instill a lifelong love of learning in every child, sets children up for the best possible success in primary school and beyond. It was a natural progression for us to choose The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program, which provides young Australians in need with long-term educational support,” he added. 

Learn more about Learning for Life here.