Safe Kids are eSmart Kids program

Under the Funding Boost for Online Safety Learning election commitment the government will provide $6 million over three years from 2026-27 to the Alannah and Madeline Foundation (AMF) for the continuation, enhancement and growth of free online safety, digital and media information literacy education tools for young Australians. The AMF eSmart program teaches young Australians to have safe, inclusive and positive online experiences, in a structured and age-appropriate way that aligns with the school curriculum and eSafety’s Best Practice Framework for Online Safety Education. The funding will enable continued free access to these tools for all Australian schools and enable AMF to expand delivery into alternative settings where children and young people live, learn and play - including youth justice and early years environments, and community settings such as sporting clubs and interest-based groups, expanding access and improving the quality of free online safety and digital and media information literacy education tools. This will complement the introduction of the legislative frameworks such as the social media minimum age by educating young people to engage safely online. It will also contribute to intended outcomes of the National Media Literacy Strategy, announced in December 2024. Grant program objectives and outcomes The objectives and intended outcomes of the program are to: strengthen, expand and sustain free, curriculum aligned online safety, digital and media information literacy education for all Australian schools, and extend delivery across diverse learning and community settings support children and young people to build the knowledge and skills they need to navigate digital environments positively and safely equip educators, families and communities with the confidence and capability to champion children’s digital rights and actively support positive digital experiences.