Families and communities

Family economic situation

Low family income can adversely affect the health, education and self-esteem of children.

Almost half a million households with children aged 0–12 had an average disposable income of $439 per week in 2009–10.

Families without adequate income are more likely to have insufficient resources to support a minimum standard of living. This can affect a child’s nutrition and access to medical care, the safety of their environment and the family’s ability to provide appropriate housing, heating and clothing. Children from low-income families are also more prone to psychological or social difficulties and behavioural problems.

How many families with children have a low income? 

In 2009–10, an estimated 487,900 households with children aged 0–12 had an average equivalised disposable income of $439 per week (that is disposable income, after tax and other deductions, adjusted for the number of adults and children in the household). This was $277 less than middle-income households with children. Low-income one-parent families were worse off, receiving $24 per week less than low-income couple-parent families.

How many children live in families where no parent has a job? 

In 2009–10, almost 1 in 7 (15%) of children aged 0–14 lived in families where no parent was employed. The proportion of jobless families was much higher among one-parent families (45%) than couple-parent families (5%).

How many families are under financial stress? 

Financial stress is not limited to low-income households. According to the 2010 ABS General Social Survey, 1 in 6 (17%) of households with children aged 0–14 could not raise $2,000 in a week for something important, and almost one-third (29%) had one or more cash flow problems in the previous year. One-parent families were more likely to be under financial stress than couple-parent families.

Financial stress indicators for households with children aged 0–14, by family type, 2010

 

Notes
1. Cash flow problems include not being able to pay bills, mortgage or rent on time; going without meals or being unable to heat the home; seeking financial assistance from family, friends or welfare agency.
2. Dissaving actions include reducing home loan payments, drawing on accumulated savings, increasing the amount owing on credit cards, taking out a personal loan, borrowing money from family or friends, selling assets and other actions.
3.Refer to A picture of Australia’s Children 2012, Appendix B: Methods for explanation of confidence intervals.

Source: ABS 2010 General Social Survey, unpublished data.

Children in non-parental care

While most Australian children live with one or both biological parents, some do not. The reasons for this vary, but include abuse or neglect, parental substance abuse, family violence, the death of one or both parents, a child’s disability or poor health, or because a parent is in jail.

How many children live in out-of-home care? 

More boys (16,600 or 7.6 per 1,000) than girls (15,400 or 7.4 per 1,000) were in out-of-home care in 2011, according to the National Child Protection Data Collection. This is more than double the 14,200 children in non-parental care in 2000. The increase is the result of more children entering out-of-home care (and staying longer) than being discharged each year, rather than simply more children commencing out-of-home care. Indigenous children were 11 times as likely as non-Indigenous children to be in out-of-home care. Overrepresentation of Indigenous children has been observed for the past decade.

What are the living arrangements of these children? 

In June 2011, the majority of children were in home-based care (93%), and this was evenly split between foster care (47%) and living with relatives (47%). However, this was not the pattern for infants aged less than 1, who were almost twice as likely to be in foster care (64%) than with relatives (34%).

How many children live with grandparents? 

According to the ABS 2009-10 Family Characteristics Survey, it is estimated that about 19,800 children (0.5%) aged 0–14 lived in grandparent families in 2009–10 (some of whom will have been included in the number of children living with relatives in out-of-home care).

Parental health and disability

Raising children involves physical, emotional and financial demands that can pose big challenges to a parent with physical or mental health problems or disability.

3 in 20 (15%) parents living with children were affected by poor mental health in 2010.

Living with a chronically ill parent can be stressful for children and negatively affect their health and wellbeing. In these circumstances, the physical, emotional or economic needs of children may not be fully met, increasing their risk of long-term mental health and behavioural problems. They may also have to take on greater responsibility, including care for the parent, which may restrict their involvement in a range of activities. Children living with a parent with a mental illness may be at increased risk of social, psychological, behavioural and physical health problems, as well as cognitive development problems.

How many parents have poor health? 

According to the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, most parents living with children aged 0–14 in 2010 rated their health as good, very good or excellent (88% or 3.2 million). The remaining 12% (about 460,000) of parents said their health was fair or poor. A higher proportion of parents in one-parent families rated their health as fair or poor than parents in couple families (19% and 12%, respectively).

How many parents have mental health problems? 

In 2010, an estimated 15% of parents living with children were affected by poor mental health, with lone parents more than twice as likely to be affected as parents in couple families (30% and 14% respectively).

How many parents have disability?

According to the ABS 2009 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, about 1 in 6 (691,000) children aged 0–14 lived with a parent with disability, and about 63,000 children were caring for a parent with disability. About 380,000 Australian families with children (17%) have at least one parent with disability.

Parents with co-resident children aged 0–14 with a Mental Health Component Summary score of less than 41, by family type, 2006 and 2010

 

Note: Refer to A picture of Australia’s Children 2012, Appendix B: Methods for explanation of confidence intervals.

Source: HILDA Survey, Waves 6 (2006) and 10 (2010), unpublished data.

Neighbourhood safety

Children are shaped not only by their family environment, but also by the neighbourhood in which they live.

Almost 6 in 7 (85%) households with children felt safe or very safe at home alone in 2010.

Parental perception of neighbourhood safety is one of the most common indicators of neighbourhood quality and can have a big impact on children’s health, development and wellbeing How safe people feel when they are at home alone during either the day or night refers to individuals’ perceptions of how vulnerable they feel to personal harm. Parental perception of neighbourhood safety can affect children’s daily activities as a fear of exposing one’s children to risks may lead parents to restrict their children from outdoor activities.

How many households with children think their neighbourhood is safe? 

In 2010, 85% of survey respondents living in households with children aged 0-14 reported feeling (very) safe alone at home during both the day and night. This is very similar to 2006 (86%). Respondents were more likely to feel (very) safe during the day (94%) than at night (85%) according to the ABS 2010 General Social Survey.

Do perceptions of safety vary across population groups? 

People living in Major cities were less likely to feel (very) safe walking in their local area at night as those living in Inner regional areas of Australia (57% compared with 65%). Similarly, people living in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas were less likely to feel (very) safe walking at night than those in the least disadvantaged areas (41% compared with 71%).

How many households with children were victims of crime?

In 2010, 1 in 5 survey respondents living in households with children aged 0–14 had been a victim of assault or break-in during the previous 12 months. While this proportion has changed little since 2006 (21%), people living in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas were more likely to be victims than those living in the least disadvantaged areas (29% compared with 17%).

Households with children aged 0–14 years that were victims of crime, 2010

 

Notes
1. Mainly English-speaking background (MESB) countries include Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America.
2. Includes Outer regional, Remote, Very remote and Migratory areas.
3. Refer to A picture of Australia’s children 2012 Appendix B: Methods for explanation of remoteness areas, socioeconomic status (SES) and confidence intervals.

Source: ABS 2010 General Social Survey, Customised report, 2012.

Social capital

Families with rich social networks have greater access to friends and neighbours to help manage their daily lives and problems.

More than 19 in 20 (96%) of households with children had access to support in time of crisis in 2010.

Social capital is the name given to quality relationships that enable people to share experiences or resolve problems. Having someone to rely on in an emergency is a vital safety net, particularly for families with children. For children, the benefits of social capital include reduced school dropout rates and positive mental health and behavioural outcomes in childhood and later life. Strong social capital can protect children from the adverse effects of socioeconomic disadvantage.

How many households can get support in times of crisis? 

According to the ABS 2010 General Social Survey, most one-family households (96%) with children aged 0–14 would be able to get help from someone outside the household if there was a crisis. This is a similar proportion as in 2006 (94%). Most could go to a family member (84%), a friend (68%) or a neighbour (29%). Based on the ABS 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 95% of Indigenous survey respondents would be able to get support in times of crisis from someone outside the family.

How many households felt they could ask for favours? 

About 94% of one-family households with children could ask for small favours from people living outside the household. This is the same proportion as in 2006.

How often do families have contact with family and friends outside the household?

Nearly all one-family households with children (97%) reported having contact at least once a week with family or friends outside the household. This is also the same proportion as in the 2006 survey.