This report is the first of its kind to apply the deprivation approach to examine deprivation among young Australians using information provided by young people themselves. It builds on earlier projects that developed and applied the approach used here to adults.

Recent debate on welfare reform has acknowledged the important role of economic and social participation. This report reviews current knowledge on social and economic participation by FaCS customers, identifies the factors that determine different types and levels of participation among different groups of customers, and...