Anti-Poverty Week: Wesley Mission Warns Digital Poverty Is Deepening Disadvantage For Children In Out Of Home Care

Media Release 12 October 2025 Anti-Poverty Week: Wesley Mission warns digital poverty is deepening disadvantage for children in Out of Home Care As part of Anti-Poverty Week 2025 (12–18 October), Wesley Mission is calling for urgent action to address the growing impact of digital poverty on children and young people living in Out of Home Care (OOHC). As classrooms, homework and even social interaction increasingly rely on laptops, tablets and internet access, children in care are among the most at risk of being excluded. For many carers and families, the cost of devices and reliable internet is simply out of reach. Wesley Mission CEO, Rev Stu Cameron, says digital poverty is a hidden crisis compounding the disadvantage already faced by vulnerable children. "Children in Out of Home Care often already carry the weight of trauma and instability. When they also lack access to a laptop or internet at home, they are not just missing lessons, they are missing opportunities to grow, connect and prepare for their future. With the rapid advances of AI and other technology, digital access is no longer optional. Without it, these children are shut out of education today and shut out of employment tomorrow. Bridging this divide is a moral responsibility we all share, and Anti-Poverty Week reminds us that closing the gap is everyone's business." Wesley Mission staff supporting OOHC families report that many children struggle to keep up with schoolwork, feel embarrassed when they cannot complete assignments online and are cut off from the digital skills their peers take for granted. Cameron says closing this gap is about more than just hardware. "Access to a laptop and the internet is the first step but children also need the confidence and skills to use technology well. Unless we provide both, we are entrenching inequality and telling these children they must fight their battles with fewer tools than everyone else. Anti-Poverty Week calls us to do better than that." Wesley Mission is urging governments, businesses, community groups and individuals to step up by donating devices, investing in connectivity and supporting digital literacy programs tailored for vulnerable families. "There are more than 45,000 children living in Out of Home Care across Australia," says Cameron. "We cannot allow a whole generation of these children to be left behind in a world that increasingly demands digital access and skills. During Anti-Poverty Week, we have an opportunity to recognise digital access as a basic need and take action to meet it."