This paper combines literature and research with the experiences of staff at the Stepfamily Association of Victoria (SAVI) in delivering counselling, support and education to stepfamilies over the past 25 years. The paper discusses problems in defining and quantifying the number of stepfamilies, the complexities...

Findings from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children This paper presents findings from a study commissioned by The Smith Family and conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, which aimed to identify key influences on Australian children’s school readiness, particularly...

It is estimated that in 2003 there were 474,600 primary carers providing care to a person because of disability or old age. In coming decades, as the Australian population ages, the number of carers is projected to increase. Despite the large number of carers in...

In 2006 the Attorney-General's Department and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs commissioned AIFS to conduct an evaluation of the 2006 changes to the Australian family law system. The evaluation has involved the collection of data from some 28,000 people involved...

This paper provides information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children involved in child protection and out-of-home care, and is based on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Child Protection data 2015-16 (AIHW 2017a; 2017b).

Prepared to support the 2008 National Families Week, this report looks at: • Trends in couple partnering and childbearing • Relationships between partners • Opinions about developing and maintaining good relationships with a partner • Help-seeking if separating from a partner • Relationships between parents...

The Attitudes to Child Support Study, conducted by the AIFS early in 2005, was designed to inform the work of the Ministerial Taskforce on Child Support. Data were obtained from a general population sample of 1001 people aged between 18 and 64 years and from...

Parenting is known to vary as a function of culture and education. It may also depend on the nature of the caregiver's relationship to the child (whether the caregiver is a parent or unrelated day care provider, for example), as well as the context in...

This facts sheet is about the diverse range of families in which Australians live and the diverse ways in which they provide support to one another. Families are very diverse and take many shapes and forms. They also typically extend across a number of households...

Most states and territories have introduced legislation providing for child-related employment pre-screening, or are working towards such legislation but there are important differences across jurisdictions regarding the type of screening programs that are in place, what records are checked, and who is required to undergo...