Shelter: development of a Children's Headline Indicator
Access to stable, adequate shelter plays a major role in the health and wellbeing of families, and in particular children, by providing a safe environment, the security that allows participation in the social, educational, economic, and community aspects of their lives and the privacy to foster autonomy as an individual and a family unit. This report describes the process of developing a Children¿s Headline Indicator to measure the multidimensional aspects of shelter. It presents research evidence on the associations between shelter and children's wellbeing; assesses potential indicators and data sources; and recommends an indicator based on households experiencing housing disadvantage.
Incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Australian children 2000-2008
Type 1 diabetes is a serious, life-long disease which causes a major health, social and economic burden for individuals with the disease, their families and the community. There were over 8,000 new cases of Type 1 diabetes diagnosed in Australian children between 2000 and 2008, an average of two new cases every day. But, while the rate of new cases increased significantly over the first part of the decade (2000-2004), there has been little change since 2005. Incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Australian children 2000-2008 presents the latest available national data on new cases of Type 1 diabetes for children from Australia's National Diabetes Register.
Health and wellbeing of young Australians: technical paper on operational definitions and data issues for key national indicators
This technical paper specifies the operational definitions and primary data sources for the key national indicators of young people's health and wellbeing. It identifies the best currently available data sources for the key national indicators as identified by the AIHW, in conjunction with the National Youth Information Advisory Group. It comments on data gaps and limitations, particularly inconsistencies between indicator (ideal) definitions and existing data definitions.
Health and wellbeing of young Australians: indicator framework and key national indicators
This bulletin previews the reporting framework and key national indicators that will be the basis of the report Young Australians: their health and wellbeing 2011, scheduled for release in 2011. The bulletin presents 71 key national indicators, along with brief justifications explaining the relevance and importance of the indicators to young people's health and wellbeing. The indicators cover a broad range of areas of young people's health and wellbeing, including: morbidity, disability, mortality, health risk and protective factors, community, socioeconomic and environmental factors and measures of system performance.
Adoptions Australia 2008-09
During 2008-09, there were 441 adoptions across Australia (one more than in 2007-08): 61% were intercountry adoptions, 15% were local and 24% were 'known' child adoptions; 71% of all intercountry adoptions were from China, South Korea, the Philippines and Ethiopia; 71% of adopted children were aged less than 5 years. This report contains comprehensive information relating to adoptions in Australia, including characteristics of adopted children, adoptive families and birth mothers.
Child protection Australia 2008-09
During 2008-09 across Australia, over 200,000 children were the subject of one or more child protection notifications; almost 33,000 children were the subject of one or more substantiations; over 35,000 children were on care and protection orders; and around 34,000 children were living in out-of-home care. This report contains comprehensive information relating to state and territory child protection and support services, and the characteristics of Australian children within the child protection system.
Progress of the NT Emergency Response Child Health Check Initiative: update on results from the Child Health Check and follow-up data collections
This is the third and final progress report on the Child Health Check Initiative (CHCI), which provides information on the health conditions identified at the CHC and the extent of follow-up services provided to Indigenous children in prescribed areas.The report shows that a high proportion of children (76%) live in a household with a smoker; 43% have at least one type of oral health condition; 30% have at least one type of skin condition and 30% have ear disease. Follow-up services have been provided to a large number of children and the extent of audiology and dental service delivery has more than doubled since December 2008. There is, however, a continuing need for health services among these children, particularly in the areas of dental, primary health care, audiology and ENT services.
AIHW Access no. 26: November 2009
Access is a newsletter published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, profiling the Institute's work and its people.
Juvenile justice in Australia 2007-08
Each day, around 6,000 young people are under juvenile justice supervision in Australia. This report is the fifth in the series on young people under juvenile justice supervision. It shows that the number of young people in detention on an average day increased by 17% over four years from 2004-05 and that over half of those in detention on average day in 2007-08 were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. The report contains information on the characteristics of young people under community-based supervision and in detention as well the type and length of their supervision.
A picture of Australia's children 2009
This report delivers the latest information on how, as a nation, we are faring according to key indicators of child health, development and wellbeing. Death rates among children have fallen dramatically, and most children are physically active and meet minimum standards for reading and numeracy. But it is not all good news. Rates of severe disability and diabetes are on the rise. Too many children are overweight or obese, or are at risk of homelessness, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children fare worse on most key indicators.
Implementation of the Children's Services National Minimum Data Set: a feasibility study
This report examines the feasibility of implementing the Children's Services National Minimum Data Set (CSNMDS) - a nationally agreed set of administrative data items that aims to provide answers to some of the key policy questions in relation to child care and preschool services in Australia. It found that to date, most states and territories have not incorporated the CSNMDS data items into their collections, due largely to cost and feasibility issues. The Australian Government Census of Child Care Services incorporated a significant proportion of the CSNMDS data items in its 2006 revision. However this census is not an ongoing collection. The objective of establishing a collection that is comprehensive and national in coverage remains to be achieved.
Adoptions Australia 2007-08
'Adoptions Australia 2007-08', the 18th report in the series, presents the latest data on adoptions of Australian children and children from overseas, and highlights important trends in the number of adoptions over the last three decades. Data on all finalised adoptions recorded by state and territory community services departments for the period 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 are presented, including information on adopted children, adoptive families and birth mothers. The report also provides data on the number of requests for information and the number of contact and information vetoes lodged by parties to an adoption.
Child protection Australia 2007-08
Child protection Australia 2007-08 provides comprehensive information on state and territory child protection and support services. The report contains data for 2007-08, as well as trend data on child protection notifications, investigations and substantiations, children on care and protection orders and children in out-of-home care. Detailed information on the characteristics of children in the child protection system is presented, specifically data on their age, sex and Indigenous status. In addition, for child protection substantiations, data on the family type and the source of notification are included. For children on care and protection orders there are data on types of orders and living arrangements, and for children in out-of-home care there are data on types of placements and length of time in out-of-home care.
Progress of the Northern Territory Emergency Response Child Health Check initiative: preliminary results from the Child Health Check and follow-up data collections
This is the second progress report to provide findings on health conditions identified, and referrals made, during Child Health Checks (CHCs) that were undertaken as part of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) Child Health Check Initiative (CHCI). In addition, for the first time, results from three follow-up CHCI data collections - Chart review, Audiology and Dental collection – are provided. As of 17 October 2008, an estimated total of 12,263 valid Child Health Checks (CHC) have been performed. Among children who received a health check, 75% lived in a household with a smoker, 40% had untreated caries and 30% had ear disease. More than 1,600 audiology follow-up services and 1,700 dental follow-up services were provided to children. In addition, 4,387 (46%) children who participated in a health check had a chart review (used to monitor whether children received follow-up care for the referrals received at their child health check).
Eye health among Australian children
Reducing preventable vision loss has recently been identified as a priority by both Australian governments and non-government organisations. 'Eye health among Australian children' is the second in a series of national reports providing an overview of eye health in Australia. The report looks at the prevalence of eye problems among children, including vision disability, congenital anomalies and cancer. Statistics for children treated within the primary care sector, as well as in hospitals, are also presented. The report is an invaluable resource for policy-makers, health professionals, advocacy groups and others interested in knowing more about children's eye health.
Juvenile arthritis in Australia
Juvenile arthritis is one of the common chronic diseases affecting Australian children. The disease contributes significantly to ill health, affecting growth and skeletal maturity of children. The life course of the disease entails a variety of complications, activity limitations and need for regular support and care. This report brings together the latest data to highlight the impact of juvenile arthritis in Australia. It includes information on the prevalence, associated disability and management of the disease. The information should be useful to the broader community, policy makers and anyone with an interest in the health of children.
Making progress: the health, development and wellbeing of Australia's children and young people
Ensuring that children get the best possible start in life is a key priority for the Australian Government. This report delivers the latest and most reliable information on how, as a nation, we are faring according to key statistical indicators of child and youth health, development and wellbeing. The report covers children and young people aged 0-19 years, and includes indicators for the entire 0-19 year age range as well as indicators for three different stages of development: 1) infancy and early childhood; 2) school age childhood; and 3) adolescence. Information is presented on important issues such as mental health, disability, risk factors for chronic disease, mortality, education, homelessness, crime, jobless families and family economic situation. Particular attention is given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth, and to how Australia compares internationally. This is an essential resource for policy makers, researchers, practitioners and anyone interested in the progress of Australia's children and youth.
Juvenile justice in Australia 2006-07
Juvenile justice in Australia 2006-07 is the fourth report on young people in juvenile justice supervision in Australia. It includes information on the characteristics of young people in community-based supervision and detention in 2006-07 and the type and length of supervision they experience, as well as patterns of supervision over time and analyses of trends. The report provides data from the Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set (JJ NMDS), which is based on the experience of the young person within supervision rather than on legal orders and contains data from 2000-01. The JJ NMDS was developed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australasian Juvenile Justice Administrators.
Hospitalised farm injury among children and young people, Australia 2000-01 to 2004-05
Over the five-year period 2000-01 to 2004-05, a total of at least 3,926 children and young people were hospitalised as the result of injuries sustained on farms. This briefing focuses on these cases.
Technical paper on operational definitions and data issues for key national indicators of children's health, development and wellbeing
This technical paper specifies the operational definitions and primary data sources for the key national indicators of children's health, development and wellbeing. It identifies the best currently available data sources for the key national indicators as identified by the AIHW, in conjunction with the National Child Information Advisory Group. It comments on data gaps and limitations, particularly inconsistencies between indicator (ideal) definitions and existing data definitions.
Injury among young Australians
'Injury among young Australians' provides comprehensive information on injury incidence, hospitalisations and deaths among young people in Australia. It presents the most up-to-date available data, as well as trend data, on major causes of injury for this population group, including transport accidents, intentional self-harm and suicide, assault and accidental poisoning. Information is presented for these and other causes by age and sex, Indigenous status, remoteness of residence and socioeconomic status, in order to provide a comprehensive overview of injury among young Australians. This bulletin will be relevant to anyone interested in gaining an insight into the patterns of morbidity and mortality among young people due to injury.
Key national indicators of children's health, development and wellbeing: indicator framework for 'A picture of Australia's children 2009'
This bulletin previews the reporting framework and key national indicators that will be the basis of the report, 'A picture of Australia's children 2009', scheduled for release in 2009. This bulletin also contains the Headline Indicators for Children's Health, Development and Wellbeing. The indicators cover a broad range of areas of children's health, development and wellbeing, including: morbidity, disability, mortality, health risk and protective factors, early learning and education, the influences of family, neighbourhood and community factors, safety and security, economic and social influences, and measures of system performance.
Adoptions Australia 2006-07
'Adoptions Australia 2006-07', the 17th report in the series, presents the latest data on adoptions of Australian children and children from overseas, and highlights important trends in adoptions over the last three decades. Data are presented on all finalised adoptions recorded by the state and territory departments responsible for adoption, for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, including information on adopted children, adoptive families and birth mothers. The report also provides data on the number of requests for information and the number of contact and information vetoes lodged by parties to an adoption.
Child protection Australia 2006-07
Child protection Australia 2006-07 provides comprehensive information on state and territory child protection and support services. The report contains data for 2006-07, as well as trend data on child protection notifications, investigations and substantiations, children on care and protection orders and children in out-of-home care. Detailed information on the characteristics of children in the child protection system is presented, specifically data on their age, sex and Indigenous status. In addition, for child protection substantiations, data on the family type and the source of notification are also included. For children on care and protection orders there are data on types of orders and living arrangements, and for children in out-of-home care there are data on types of placements and length of time in out-of-home care.
Juvenile justice in Australia 2005-06
Juvenile justice in Australia 2005-06 provides data from the Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) developed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the Australasian Juvenile Justice Administrators (AJJA). The Juvenile Justice NMDS includes information on all young people in juvenile justice supervision in Australia, both in the community and in detention. It is based on the experience of the young person within supervision, while making it somewhat different to other criminal justice collections that focus on legal orders. This is the third report on the collection and presents data for 2005-06, as well as analyses of trends in community-based supervision and detention over the six years since 2000-01 when the collection began. It includes data on the characteristics of the young people under supervision such as age, sex and Indigenous status, and their patterns of supervision over time.