ALNF and Teachers Mutual Bank join forces to help children get a nutritious and literacy-rich start to their day

22 June 2026

The Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation has today announced an exciting new partnership with Teachers Mutual Bank, which will become the partner of the Breakfast Library program.

The Breakfast Library is an innovative program that provides children and young people with a regular, healthy breakfast to promote good nutrition and enhance health and wellbeing. It also aims to strengthen literacy development by providing access to high-quality children’s books and literacy resources. By combining breakfast and books, the Breakfast Library program helps to create positive and inclusive learning environments where children can thrive.

Driven by a shared commitment to education, equality, and community impact, this new $100,000 partnership will support ALNF’s mission to transform the literacy outcomes and wellbeing of young Australians across some of Australia’s most marginalised communities.

Teachers Mutual Bank’s support will provide funding to help strengthen the program’s impact, enabling more children and young people to start the day with a nutritious meal, ready to learn, and fully participate in their education journey.

“Teachers tell us that when children start the day with a nutritious breakfast, they are more settled, more engaged, and more ready to learn. That makes a real difference in the classroom and helps teachers do what they do best. As the bank for teachers, that matters deeply to us,” said Anthony Hughes, CEO at Teachers Mutual Bank.

“We also understand the powerful role that literacy, wellbeing, and practical support can play in a student’s life. The Breakfast Library program brings these important elements together in a meaningful way.

“As a mutual bank, we’re proud to support our members and the communities they help shape every day. This partnership is a positive expression of our commitment to the teaching community and reflects our purpose in action: banking for good,” Mr Hughes said.

Kim Kelly, ALNF CEO, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Teachers Mutual Bank for standing with us to create real, meaningful change on the ground for some of our youngest learners.

“Teachers Mutual Bank’s belief in the power of education aligns strongly with our mission to make literacy a reality for every child and we look forward to creating impact, together.”

The program is already making a difference in schools such as Curran Public School in south-western Sydney, where students and families have embraced the opportunity to access books alongside a nutritious breakfast.

Kellie Ryan, Assistant Principal at Curran Public School, said: "The Breakfast Library at Curran Public School is proof that when you meet a child's most basic needs, everything else follows.

“Every morning, we open our doors and watch students arrive and within minutes they are fed, settled, connecting with friends, and holding a book in their hands.

“Partnering with the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation has had an incredible impact on our students and our whole school community. Our students love the Breakfast Library and reflect that Breakfast Library feels like family."

Learn more about the Breakfast Library program here.

To find out more about the work of Teachers Mutual Bank, please visit their website here.