Draws upon research to provide practitioners and policy-makers with ideas about how the concept of social inclusion can be used to plan and deliver child and family services in ways that enhance opportunities for parents and families.

Key messages:

* Definitions of social exclusion are often vague and ambiguous however one of the best ways of understanding social exclusion is to explore how it is distinct from poverty and deprivation. Social exclusion is not the equivalent of poverty (i.e., inadequate economic resources) or deprivation (i.e., an enforced lack of socially perceived necessities). Social exclusion, in contrast to poverty and deprivation, is fundamentally about a lack of connectedness and participation.

* In the Australian policy context social inclusion is understood as four key "domains" of opportunity. They are the opportunity to: (1) participate in society through employment and access to services; (2) connect with family, friends and the local community; (3) deal with personal crises; and (4) be heard.

* There is substantial evidence to demonstrate the negative impact that social exclusion has upon children, parent-child relationships, parenting and family functioning. For example, children who live in a jobless family have a higher risk of behavioural, conduct and peer problems.

* Child and family services in Australia can play a key role in promoting the social inclusion of children and families by, for example:

     - providing a space for parents and children to meet with one another and develop friendships and informal support networks;

     - providing opportunities for parents to take up leadership roles within programs; and

     - encouraging parents and children to contribute to decision-making processes in the local community.

Image: Andrew Jeffrey