Child Development and Youth Transitions

Topics

Early Childhood Development

• Child well-being and sole parent family structure in the OECD: an analysis (2009), Simon Chapple / OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs. This paper addresses the causal impact of being raised in a sole-parent family on child well-being across the OECD using a cross-country meta-analysis of 122 case studies and a literature review.
• Social and emotional development in early childhood: What every policymaker should know, Cooper et al, National Centre for Children in Poverty. USA (2009). This brief outlines the risks faced by young children with social, emotional, and behavioural problems, as well as barriers to eligibility, access to services, and service utilization.
• Reform: a Journal of National and International Law Reform Children and Young People, Winter 2008 Issue 92., Australian Law Reform Commission
• Australia Runs Slow Race on Child Wellbeing (2008), Clare McHugh, FRSA. Review of the ARACY Report Card on the Wellbeing of Young Australians.
• COAG mental health early intervention measure: early childhood component - study to scope potential service delivery (2007), Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care and Early Childhood Australia. 
• The Victorian Government’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development: Blueprint for early childhood development and school reform (2008). The establishment of the Department will integrate early childhood services and schools across Victoria.
• Parenting and families in Australia (2008), Zubrick et. al and LSAC Research Consortium / Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.  Using Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children dataset, this paper explores a number of topic areas in relation to infants and children in Australian families. 
• Why children need at least 12 months paid parental leave (2008), NSW Commission for Children and Young
  People. This paper describes that when an infant is rarely noticed, touched or talked to, it lowers their ability to withstand stress, to learn, to control emotions and develop into healthy adults.

Program Frameworks

• Investing in the early years - a national early childhood development strategy, Council of Australian Governments (2009). This strategy aims to reverse increases in poor outcomes for children and young people in a number of key areas, and a widening of inequalities in outcomes between groups of children.
• Prevention to ARACY Conference: How Do We Build Tomorrow’s Capabilities Today? Dr Ken Henry (2009), Secretary to the Treasury. Ideas discussed include the trade-off for policy-makers between workforce participation and the valuable role that parents and carers play in developing the capabilities of children; the idea that poorly designed policies can create perverse incentives for the participation choices of parents and carers that affect their own capabilities and those of their children; and the difficult task for all governments in identifying and meeting the needs of children who are in vulnerable circumstances.
• A Head Start for Australia: An Early Years Framwork (2004), Commission for Children and Young People (NSW and QLD) in collaboration with the National Investment for the Early Years (NIFTeY). A framework designed as a tool for government and NGO stakeholders and community members to use when they consider how they can contribute to children’s wellbeing and

School Age

• In their own words – insights into the concerns of young Australians, Mission Australia (2009). This reports on Mission Australia's 2008 annual national survey of young Australians aimed to identify issues such as young people's values, their issues of concern, where they turn for advice and support and who they admire. The top three issues raised were body image, drugs and family conflict. 
• Time trends for parenting and outcomes for young people, Nuffield Foundation, UK (2009).  This study looks at whether there are links between the rise in behaviour problems and the dramatic changes in family size and structure, and in the working lives of parents.
• How young people are faring 2009, Lamb and Robinson, Foundation for Young Australians.  This years report focuses on the global economic downturn and the subsequent impact on young people’s aspirations, employment opportunities and education pathways
• Auseinet Settings and Populations: Mental health promotion and illness prevention - Schools (2008).
• Children caring for parents experiencing mental health problems now have access to a national resource centre, containing information sheets, tips and information on State and Territory based programs for young people and parents. 
• The World Health Organization Global school-based student health survey (GSHS) is a collaborative surveillance project designed to help countries measure and assess the behavioural risk factors and protective factors in 10 key areas among young people aged 13 to 15.
• Young people and alcohol: the role of cultural influences (2008), Ann M. Roche and others / National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction. This report comprises a comprehensive literature review addressing a wide range of social and cultural factors that potentially impact on young Australians aged 14-24 in relation to their use and non-use of alcohol.
• Teenage Mental Health: Girls shout out! (2008), Mental Health Foundation, London, UK. An investigation into girls' experiences of both hard-to-manage and challenging feelings as well as recognised mental health problems. 
• Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media (2008) by Ann McEwen and others, Senate Standing Committee on the Environment, Communications and the Arts. This report based on the findings of a Senate Inquiry considers: the sources and beneficiaries of the premature sexualisation of children in the media; the effects of premature sexualisation on child development; regulation of the electronic and print media; advertising; and education.
• Making progress – how Australia’s children measure up, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Using a variety of health and welfare indicators this report examines progress made in child and youth health wellbeing over the last decade and focuses on both improvements and future challenges.

Youth Transitions

• Young people experiencing mental health and drug and alcohol problems in communities across Australia will have better access to the help they need as a result of headspace’s new, leading help-seeking website. This website will be the leading point of information for young people, their families and the community.
• Preventing youth disengagement and promoting engagement, Burns et. al. Commissioned by ARACY this paper includes a comprehensive literature review, an analysis of individual and social pathways to youth disengagement, and an analysis of ‘what works best’ across five case studies: substance abuse; community violence; school disengagement; civic participation; and youth mental health reform.

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