Research Utilisation in Child Protection Policy: Understanding and Conceptualising the Role of Research in Social Policy Development. The findings of this project will have significant benefits for vulnerable children and families by enhancing the capacity for research-informed policy in child protection. In this way, the project will also have significant flow-on economic benefits for Local, State and Federal Governments by decreasing the social and economic costs associated with child abuse an ....Research Utilisation in Child Protection Policy: Understanding and Conceptualising the Role of Research in Social Policy Development. The findings of this project will have significant benefits for vulnerable children and families by enhancing the capacity for research-informed policy in child protection. In this way, the project will also have significant flow-on economic benefits for Local, State and Federal Governments by decreasing the social and economic costs associated with child abuse and neglect. Research funding will have a greater impact by the increased understanding this study will provide about how research can be more effectively used in policy.Read moreRead less
The Role of the Family in Facilitating the Human Capital and Labour Market Investments of Young Australians. A nation's future lies in its young people, and society as a whole must take part in ensuring that today's youth acquire the skills, experience, and training necessary not only to cope, but to thrive. The proposed research will make a substantial step forward in understanding how families make decisions about supporting their young adult children and how those decisions are shaped by Aust ....The Role of the Family in Facilitating the Human Capital and Labour Market Investments of Young Australians. A nation's future lies in its young people, and society as a whole must take part in ensuring that today's youth acquire the skills, experience, and training necessary not only to cope, but to thrive. The proposed research will make a substantial step forward in understanding how families make decisions about supporting their young adult children and how those decisions are shaped by Australian social policy. The findings will inform social policy development by providing evidence on pressing issues such as the effects of rising house prices or weakening labour markets on young Australians' ability to invest in education.Read moreRead less
Developing child-centred family and community practice: Listening to boys aged 9-12 with behaviour problems about their social contexts and needs. Children's and family services seek to reduce risks to children and ensure their well-being through holistic, strengths-based, collaborative family and community practice. Yet services remain adult-centric; children are often seen as recipients rather than informants, as targets rather than shapers of change. This study with Anglicare Victoria will ex ....Developing child-centred family and community practice: Listening to boys aged 9-12 with behaviour problems about their social contexts and needs. Children's and family services seek to reduce risks to children and ensure their well-being through holistic, strengths-based, collaborative family and community practice. Yet services remain adult-centric; children are often seen as recipients rather than informants, as targets rather than shapers of change. This study with Anglicare Victoria will examine the contexts, content and effects of professional responses to boys aged 9-12 years with challenging, aggressive behaviour, chiefly through the voices of the boys themselves. Adapting participatory enquiry methods for an unusually young and troubled population, the study aims to better understand their experiences and also to demonstrate opportunities and methods for enhancing children's participation.Read moreRead less
Promoting Well-Being in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Groups: Towards Evidence-Based Practice. In order to serve families from diverse communities properly, we require models of well-being that reflect the unique circumstances of their lives and culture. At present, the helping professions lack models of well-being that are sensitive to cultural diversity. Therefore, the study will develop models of well-being that are unique to four different cultural groups: Anglo-Australians, Vietnam ....Promoting Well-Being in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Groups: Towards Evidence-Based Practice. In order to serve families from diverse communities properly, we require models of well-being that reflect the unique circumstances of their lives and culture. At present, the helping professions lack models of well-being that are sensitive to cultural diversity. Therefore, the study will develop models of well-being that are unique to four different cultural groups: Anglo-Australians, Vietnamese, Maltese and Italians. We will compare community members' conceptions of well-being with those of the professionals helping them. The research will produce theory regarding cross-cultural well-being and will inform practice as well.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354736
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Families, Law and Social Policy Research Network. The Federal Government's Family Law Pathways Advisory Group recommended that a national research agenda be developed for family law and social policy that focuses on the separation and divorce transition. For many families Commonwealth private family law and the public law of child protection and domestic violence, provides the setting in which this transition takes place. The proposed multidisciplinary network brings together researchers, policy ....Families, Law and Social Policy Research Network. The Federal Government's Family Law Pathways Advisory Group recommended that a national research agenda be developed for family law and social policy that focuses on the separation and divorce transition. For many families Commonwealth private family law and the public law of child protection and domestic violence, provides the setting in which this transition takes place. The proposed multidisciplinary network brings together researchers, policy makers and service providers in this area. Benefits include research better targeted to the needs of end-users, a stronger evidence base for complex practice, decreased fragmentation of research effort, and a base for research training.Read moreRead less
The invisible postmodern family: Investigating the interface between the private and public worlds of lesbian families. This study investigates family diversity and post-modern kinship through a study of lesbian parented families. These families are a recent and significant new family type and knowledge about them is crucial for understanding contemporary family life. We examine family structure including how family members define and describe their relationships, their roles and the social supp ....The invisible postmodern family: Investigating the interface between the private and public worlds of lesbian families. This study investigates family diversity and post-modern kinship through a study of lesbian parented families. These families are a recent and significant new family type and knowledge about them is crucial for understanding contemporary family life. We examine family structure including how family members define and describe their relationships, their roles and the social supports available to them. We examine the interface between the private lives of lesbian parented families and mainstream public institutions. The research will develop the field of family studies theoretically and empirically and will be of major significance to researchers, practitioners and social policy makers.Read moreRead less
Families on the Edge: Lived Experiences of Citizenship of Homeless Families. Families on the Edge will provide an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of homeless families, comprising predominantly women and children, who are one of the most marginalised and under-researched groups in Australian society. The findings will enable governments and not-for-profit agencies to improve services for homeless families to improve their health and well being. They will also inform policy debates ....Families on the Edge: Lived Experiences of Citizenship of Homeless Families. Families on the Edge will provide an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of homeless families, comprising predominantly women and children, who are one of the most marginalised and under-researched groups in Australian society. The findings will enable governments and not-for-profit agencies to improve services for homeless families to improve their health and well being. They will also inform policy debates about other approaches which draw on human rights and the rights/responsibilities of citizenship. The projects findings will provide a sound framework and empirical basis for improvements to legislation, policy and practice across a range of areas.Read moreRead less
Improving court processing of protection applications for young children in the Children's Court of Victoria. The project applies collaborative expertise to improve "healthy starts" (National Research Priority Goal) for vulnerable children with child protection applications in their first 3 years. They need the courts to decide on means of protection and stability. For rural as well as urban areas, the project will identify factors that support or delay provision of stable environments for child ....Improving court processing of protection applications for young children in the Children's Court of Victoria. The project applies collaborative expertise to improve "healthy starts" (National Research Priority Goal) for vulnerable children with child protection applications in their first 3 years. They need the courts to decide on means of protection and stability. For rural as well as urban areas, the project will identify factors that support or delay provision of stable environments for children needing security in their early years. The project provides an evidence base for analyses and case flow management. By analysing court processes, it contributes data on protection cases that are lacking in Australia. This will be a lasting system for the Children's Court that can be generalised to other age groups and jurisdictions. Read moreRead less
Challenging Disadvantage: The Social Outcomes of an Early Educational Intervention with the Family. Theory and observation indicate the importance of early parent-child interactions in determining the well-being of individuals in society. However, rigorous research is needed to explore whether early intervention in family life can enhance such development, particularly the proposed capacity of changed parenting roles and family interactions to interrupt the trans-generational perpetuation of so ....Challenging Disadvantage: The Social Outcomes of an Early Educational Intervention with the Family. Theory and observation indicate the importance of early parent-child interactions in determining the well-being of individuals in society. However, rigorous research is needed to explore whether early intervention in family life can enhance such development, particularly the proposed capacity of changed parenting roles and family interactions to interrupt the trans-generational perpetuation of socio-economic disadvantage. This project investigates the usefulness of an early intervention program new to Australia, the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY). It examines the processes of HIPPY and possible consequent mediating effects of family relationships on child development outcomes, in a disadvantaged Australian-born community in Geelong.Read moreRead less
Supporting families: Horizontal and vertical equity in the Australian tax-benefit system in historical and comparative perspectives. Tax benefit reform and equity between different groups are key policy concerns currently and for the foreseeable future. The tax-benefit system is under review, and the Global Financial Crisis has prompted debate on how tax-benefit policy can stimulate the economy while maintaining equity and promoting social inclusion. This project will put debate about tax-benef ....Supporting families: Horizontal and vertical equity in the Australian tax-benefit system in historical and comparative perspectives. Tax benefit reform and equity between different groups are key policy concerns currently and for the foreseeable future. The tax-benefit system is under review, and the Global Financial Crisis has prompted debate on how tax-benefit policy can stimulate the economy while maintaining equity and promoting social inclusion. This project will put debate about tax-benefit reforms and deficit reduction strategies in historical and an international comparative context. Results generated will provide a rich and comprehensive framework for assessing current and future policy options in areas that are closely aligned with the designated national research priority goals of a healthy start to life and strengthening Australia's economic and social fabric.Read moreRead less