A Gold Coast community day right before QLD Term 1 begins — backpacks, stationery, practical essentials and a warm welcome for kids and families heading into a new school year.
Back to school is one of the most expensive weeks of the year. A fresh set-up — uniform, shoes, books, stationery, a bag — adds up fast, and it lands in January, straight after the costs of summer. For a family already stretched, it's the moment a child can start the year a step behind.
The average cost of a fresh set-up for one primary school student in 2026 — uniform, textbooks and stationery.
Source: Finder, Back to School 2026
Australian parents say they can't afford back-to-school costs this year.
Source: Finder, 2026
Australian children are living in poverty, where life's basics are hard to come by.
Source: The Smith Family
Queensland's Back to School Boost puts $100 toward each primary student — real help, but well short of what a full set-up costs. Care4Kids works alongside that support to close the gap — so a tight budget doesn't decide how a Gold Coast child starts the school year.
Care4Kids is City Reach's annual Back to School community day on the Gold Coast. Kids and families receive backpacks, stationery, practical essentials and a welcome into a community that sees them — timed for the week before Term 1 so every child walks into day one already carrying what they need.
Everything is delivered alongside local churches and existing community partners — never replacing the good work already happening. City Reach coordinates; the city shows up.
for kids and families in need.
through mentoring and connection.
coming together alongside the city.
in our community — together.
A short, dignified format. No long queues, no income forms, no awkwardness — and a few good things woven through the morning that make families want to stay a while.
Each child chooses their own backpack and fills it with stationery and Term 1 essentials. Family-pack add-ons for siblings, parents and the home.
Face painting, colouring books, and sponsored ice cream — every year, no matter the weather. The kids run this part.
Volunteer barbers and stylists offer free haircuts in time for first day of school. Limited slots each year — RSVP required.
A space to sit, chat with volunteers, and meet partner organisations who can walk with families through the year ahead.
Care4Kids didn't start from scratch. The back-to-school format has been run for years by World Changers Church Gold Coast — refined season after season into a day that families trust and look forward to.
City Reach Foundation now coordinates Care4Kids as one of its initiatives — opening it wider across the Gold Coast and connecting families to year-round, next-step support. What's proven stays. What it reaches grows.
World Changers Church Gold Coast continues alongside Care4Kids as a community partner — contributing volunteers and venue capacity. City Reach Foundation Ltd is the hub coordinator and the registered charity behind the day.
Care4Kids is one initiative within City Reach Foundation's wider frontline mission — practical care, coordinated with the city, across the year. It sits alongside the Foundation's other coordinated projects.
A coordinated, church-based pop-up winter shelter response — City Reach as hub coordinator, participating churches as facilitator sites.
Explore the Winter InitiativeFood relief, frontline care, social enterprise and next-step pathways — the full picture of what City Reach coordinates across the Gold Coast.
See the programs portfolioCare4Kids runs because of volunteers, donors and partners working alongside. Whatever you bring, it lands.
Your gift funds backpacks, stationery and the day itself — every dollar lands directly in family hands.
Make a giftDGR endorsement status: pending confirmation.
Event crew, registration, pack stations, family welcome. Half-day shifts, families welcome to volunteer together.
Join the teamBlue Card required for child-facing roles — we'll help you apply.
Schools, councils, churches, businesses — bring product, presence, or a referral pathway. Let's coordinate.
Start a conversationMOU templates available for formal partnerships.
Any Gold Coast family with school-aged children who'd benefit from a hand into Term 1. No income test, no eligibility form, no proof required. If you're walking into a new school year and a backpack would help, you're welcome.
Registration opens closer to the date — watch this page or to be notified. A simple form helps us pack the right number of bags so nobody gets turned away.
Yes. — number of children, year levels, anything we should know — and we'll make sure their bags are ready. Families can also come without a referral.
to register interest. Slots are limited each year and fill early — the earlier you RSVP, the better the chance.
Yes — product donations, sponsored backpacks, volunteer crews, referral pathways. Start a conversation and we'll scope what fits.