These presenters at the AIFS Conference 2008 have a range of experience across central government policy areas in New Zealand including labour market, education, women’s affairs and housing. The New Zealand Government has over the last 4 years been undertaking a range of initiatives to make sure that New Zealand’s workplaces are attractive, innovative and...

Most research into child support is based on the experiences of residential mothers and children. The little we know about post-separation fathering often comes from mothers reports. This is problematic as many child support reforms focus on changing the behaviour of non-resident parents (usually fathers) without a complete understanding of the complicated factors that influence...

Since the 1970s, women have formed a growing percentage of university graduates and more female graduates are entering high-level careers and moving into the senior ranks of their chosen careers. However, numerous studies from the English-speaking countries have found that women are more likely than men to make employment concessions for family responsibilities, regardless of...

Increasingly in the child protection sector, governments and leaders in the field are talking about the need for "evidence-based" or "evidence-informed" policy and practice. But what does this mean; and how relevant is "evidence-based" policy and practice to those professionals at the coal-face working with vulnerable children and families? The impetus for taking an evidence-informed...

Maternal employment rates are lowest in the first year of a child's life, as women leave or take a break from employment to care for an infant. Within this first year, however, there is considerable variation of maternal employment rates as some women make their way back to the workforce. This paper explores the timing...