Government gives $542,000 to The Smith Family for ‘Lets Count’ program

The Victorian government has announced a $542,000 funding plan for The Smith Family’s program Lets Count.

About 14,000 Victorian pre-schoolers are expected to benefit from the early maths program.

The announcement was made by Victoria’s Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos and The Smith Family’s Victorian General Manager Anton Leschen.

Leschen welcomed the government’s significant support to expand Let’s Count to 30 areas across the state over the next three years.

Funding will be put towards training for 500 early years’ educators that will focus on how they can support parents and children to identify and engage in maths activities in their everyday lives.

Let’s Count engages children in activities such as counting, measurement, patterns and spatial awareness, helping develop their skills and their positive dispositions towards maths before they begin primary school.

“This exciting and very welcome investment by the Victorian government will mean many more Victorian children can be supported to develop their maths skills from an early age,” said Leschen.

“Developing a child’s early maths skills is as important as developing their reading, but generally there has been less of a focus on developing this skill.

“Of particular concern to The Smith Family is that one-in three children living in our most disadvantaged communities starts school without basic skills, including numeracy.”

A four-year partnership with the Origin Foundation enabled the program to reach nearly 13,000 children, 7,000 parents and 450 educators in disadvantaged communities nationally.

Leschen said the announcement built on an innovative partnership between a not-for-profit organisation working with families, educators, academic, philanthropic and corporate partners.