• Our partners
  • Contact us
  • School & ECE login

Home

  • News & stories
Donate

Home

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook

What We Do

  • Our Programmes
  • Our Impact
  • Child Poverty in NZ
  • Who we support

Take action

  • Donations
  • Fundraise
  • Partner with us

School & ECE Support

  • School Support
  • ECE Support

About Us

  • Our Story
  • FAQs
  • Contact us
  • Stories
  • Our partners
School & ECE Login
Sponsor
Privacy Policy

© 2025 KidsCan. All rights reserved.

KidsCan Charitable Trust is registered under the Charities Act 2005 CC10386

Every child should be able to take part

Wet days, sports, school trips, lunchtime games. Without the right shoes, ordinary school life becomes another barrier for a child facing hardship.

Without the basics kids stop showing up

Without suitable shoes, children can face barriers to getting to school and taking part when they're there.  

At Roslyn School in Palmerston North, Office Manager Vanessa is seeing more children arrive at school in shoes that are no longer fit to wear. 

“Without KidsCan, if they couldn’t access the shoes, they just wouldn’t come. We would have a lot of kids who wouldn’t come to school, just because of that.”

Last year alone, KidsCan provided more than 40,000 pairs of shoes

Material hardship measures whether a home lacks essentials many take for granted. When families have to go without fresh food, warmth or the doctor, shoes can slip down the list.
  • icons-shoes-red

    Pairs of shoes

How we help

KidsCan provides shoes and socks directly to our partner schools. Schools identify students who don't have suitable shoes to wear to school and can order based on what their students need. 

This means schools can respond when a child needs help, removing one practical barrier that could otherwise get in the way of them showing up and taking part. 

What schools are seeing

Every school community is different. Across New Zealand, KidsCan partner schools see first-hand the barriers material hardship can create for children and their education. 

Schools tell us about children arriving in shoes that no longer fit or are worn out, and the difference having a suitable pair of shoes can make to their ability to take part in everyday school life. 

Roslyn SchoolRakaia School

Shoes are one part of the picture

KidsCan is a New Zealand charity helping to remove some of the barriers material hardship can create for children. 

Material hardship is about whether families can afford the essentials they need in everyday life – things like nutritious food, suitable clothing and shoes, heating and transport. 

For children, hardship can create practical barriers that make it harder to show up, take part and learn. 

KidsCan works with schools and early childhood centres across New Zealand, providing practical essentials across three interconnected areas: food insecurity, participation and health. 

  • Food insecurity

    Material hardship can mean families don't always have reliable access to enough nutritious food. KidsCan provides food through partner schools and early childhood centres, helping children access nutritious food within their education setting.
  • Participation

    Without appropriate clothing or footwear, children may miss school or early childhood education, particularly in cold or wet weather, or be unable to participate fully when they're there. KidsCan provides practical essentials including warm jackets, shoes and socks to help remove barriers to attendance and participation.
  • Health

    Material hardship can also make it harder for families to access some of the everyday essentials that help prevent or address common health issues. KidsCan provides practical health support through schools and early childhood centres, helping children access essentials that support their health and help build healthy habits early.

Your regular gift will help children make the most of education

We can't change every circumstance in a child's life. But with your support we can help make sure hunger, a lack of suitable clothing or footwear, or preventable health issues don't stand between them and their education. 

Because when children have what they need to show up, take part and learn, they have a better opportunity to make the most of their education and all the possibilities it can create for their future. Your $30 can make that future possible.

DONATE NOW