Minister's foreword
Foreword from the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
The Hon. Jenny Macklin MP
One of the key responsibilities of all governments is ensuring children are healthy, safe and happy to give them the best start in life.
Children are at the centre of the Australian Government’s policy agenda. We have delivered major reforms to early childhood education and care; new early intervention programs for children with developmental disabilities; the first ever National Framework for Protecting Children; and from 1 January, Australia’s first national Paid Parental Leave scheme.
To support families we need effective policies based on solid evidence. An important part of this evidence base comes from Growing Up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC).
The study is funded by the Australian Government and is jointly managed by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The study collects a range of information, including looking at children’s academic ability and health and emotional wellbeing, as well as information about parenting, family functioning, early childhood care, and education and schooling. Since the study began in 2004, around 10,000 children and families have taken part in three main waves of interviews and three in between mail-out surveys.
LSAC is becoming a valuable national resource for policy makers and researchers. LSAC data about the leave parents take following the birth of a child and about the length of time mothers breastfeed for was used extensively to model the impacts of paid parental leave and demonstrate the value of taking leave around the birth of a child.
I would like to say thank you to all the families and children who are part of the study for their contribution over many years. Their commitment is helping us deliver better policies for all Australian families.
Jenny Macklin
Minister for Families, Housing,
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs