3. Approach of the Taskforce

In order to meet the Terms of Reference, the Taskforce:

• analysed the submissions on child support made to the House of Representatives Committee on Family and Community Affairs in 2003;
• analysed issues raised in Ministerial correspondence and unsolicited submissions to the Taskforce;
• consulted the Reference Group on issues to be considered;
• reviewed the research on the costs of children both in Australia and overseas;
• conducted new research on the costs of children using three different approaches;
• examined the current impact of the Scheme on the living standards of both resident and non-resident parents;
• examined the child support systems of other countries and in particular, new approaches to child support since Australia developed its Scheme;
• consulted overseas experts on child support;
• commissioned the Australian Institute of Family Studies to conduct a survey of community attitudes towards child support;
• considered the interaction of the Child Support Scheme with Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and income support payments;
• consulted the Reference Group and other stakeholders on proposals for change;
• tested the proposals using a computer model that examined their impact for a range of different families; and
• consulted the Child Support Agency on the feasibility of implementing the proposed new approach.

Papers containing the research underpinning the Taskforce’s findings are published in Volume 2 of the Report.

A major part of the work of the Taskforce required the analysis of the operation of the existing Child Support Scheme and proposed alternatives and their interaction with the tax and income support systems. The National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) at the University of Canberra was commissioned to develop a detailed model for this purpose. This was a complex task, but this microsimulation model and the extension of NATSEM’s population model (STINMOD) provide invaluable tools for future policy analysis and development. They enable the modelling of alternative policies to show outcomes for both individual families and the general population.