Child on a flying fox

Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
www.aifs.gov.au/growingup

Participant information

 

'Throughout the life of the study, the participating children and their families will continue to be the study's most precious resource'

Ann Sanson and Robert Johnstone, Family Matters No. 67 Autumn 2004

 

Update on 2004

Between March and November this year, over 10,000 families agreed to take part in Growing Up in Australia. Thank you for your involvement and the significant contribution you have made. The insight into children you have given, and will continue to give throughout the life of the study, is invaluable. We could not do this study without you!

Over 130 interviewers spoke with families in cities, towns, and rural and remote areas in all States and Territories in Australia. Interviewers loved talking with you. They said:

'I met all those 'young' mothers (and some fathers), babies and 4 year olds, and realised there are a great many families who are interested and concerned about the future of their children, and Australia.'

'The easiest interview I had was when I arrived at a home and the mother said 'Hi we have been waiting for you to arrive. Come in.' The whole family gathered at the kitchen table, afternoon tea appeared and away we went into the interview. There was much laughter and I felt like I was part of the family.'

'The respondent was initially negative about the study and told me her circumstances and how she felt unworthy to be a parent. Still keeping it very professional I emphasized with her that I too am a single parent and understood. She then agreed to the interview.'

'I met some amazing people, a four year old boy who was fluent in Russian, French and English. The mother of five who was looking after four other children (pre-school) for a sick friend, and who still did a lot of volunteer work and had plenty of time for study.'

'One of the families was so low income that they tried to be self-sufficient with food, eg the father would take the kids out fishing to get dinner for the night ... I am really glad that statistics on their child will be used in this study because one of the concerns I had is that low-income families or those struggling with social hardships may refuse to participate and then valuable data on the experience of some Australian children is not being gathered.'

'I did an interview with a couple who had an infant daughter and they really did their research on what the study was about and all the ins and outs of it. It was good to have a conversation with someone outside 'work' and discuss the importance of the study and this made me realise that the study is a truly significant one that will be used for many years to come and I had a part in it.'

'Working in my field area with a high concentration of people from other cultures and languages was challenging. I found that there was a high level of suspicion about the motive of the study because these families had come from countries where government interest in their lives was potentially dangerous. I emphasised the confidentiality of the study and the safeguards in place to prevent inappropriate use of the data. I also stressed the positive outcomes for their children in that they are now resident in a country where their children's lives are valued and the purpose of the study is only to further improve services for kids.'

'I managed to convince this father that his concerns were healthy in that he was trying to protect his family and I fully understood why he was cautious. What really made him change his mind was that I argued that as a mother, I felt that this study was one of the best initiatives to come out of this government and that I had every faith that it would have positive outcomes not only for my child but all Australian children.'

'What is really heartwarming for me is the common ground that we share as Australian parents and the overall care that families show for their kids.'

You have provided us with a huge amount of information and we are currently compiling and analysing all this information - from the interviews, the self-complete forms, the diaries and the teacher and carer questionnaires.

NB: IF YOU STILL HAVE SOME FORMS THAT YOU HAVE NOT RETURNED, IT IS NOT TOO LATE! PLEASE FILL THESE IN AND RETURN IN THE REPLY PAID ENVELOPE.

Who are the study families?

We have families who live in all sorts of places and in all sorts of conditions. As well as the traditional nuclear family of mum, dad and 2-3 children living in the suburbs, we have families with one child, families with lots of children, families on farms, in high rise flats, in the leafy suburbs, in remote communities, families with children with disabilities, foster children, adopted children, step children, children born overseas, parents born overseas, single parent families, and so on - families that truly reflect the diversity of Australia.

The graph below shows the proportion of families in the study from each state, which reflects the distribution of families in Australia.

Time Use Diaries

We were very pleased with your response to the Time Use Diary. Over 80 per cent of families filled in the diaries, which have provided us with a wealth of information about what your children do each day.

Many parents told us that they found it very interesting to keep a record of what their children were up to.

Collecting good quality information about children's time use is one of the most original and distinctive features of Growing Up in Australia which has been done in very few other studies of this nature.

Teachers and carers

Thanks to all the teachers and child carers who took the time to complete the questionnaires. The information you have given us really adds to the breadth and depth of the study and helps us get a better picture of how children are doing.

Mail-out questionnaires

Families who were interviewed in 2003 would have recently received a short questionnaire to update us on how your child is going. Thank you for returning the questionnaire and particularly parents of the 1-2 years old children who completed the extra questions on parental leave and working conditions. This information is part of a special study that will give us much better insight into issues around the use of parental leave for the birth of a child.

DATA RELEASE

Results from the first wave of interviews will be publicly released in April/May 2005.

The detailed data will only be available to researchers who have to abide by strict security and confidentiality protocols. Researchers who want to use the data will need to apply and sign a deed of confidentiality.

Your privacy is very important to us, so any information that could identify you or your family will be removed from the data set. Other additional measures will be taken to ensure that no one can be identified.

How the data will be used

The information that you have provided will help government policy makers plan for future policies and services that will benefit families and their children. By following children over time, the study will be able to determine the individual, family, and broader social and environmental factors that affect children's development. This will help to ensure that all Australian children will have the best possible start in life.

The study will help us answer questions such as:

The task of the researchers is to provide policy makers with the best evidence on which to base policies and practices to optimise all children's early development. We hope that the results from Growing Up in Australia will enhance the quality of that evidence.

As the study progresses, other research papers and conference papers will be prepared to inform the general community about findings from the study.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR STUDY FAMILIES?

If you were interviewed in 2004: you will be contacted again in 2005 to fill out a brief mail-back questionnaire that covers a number of important aspects of your child's and family's life. This includes some special questions for a study that seeks to better understand parents' working lives before and after the birth of a child. You will next be visited by an interviewer in the first half of 2006.

If you were interviewed in 2003: we will be back to visit you in the second half of 2005.

Interviewers will visit families every two years until (at least) 2009/10. We will continue to let you know what is happening with the study through our annual newsletter, as well as updates to this website. We will also send your child birthday and greeting cards.

DON'T FORGET! KEEP IN TOUCH

You are unique and irreplaceable! We hope that you will continue to take part in the study. If you move house or change telephone number(s) or other contact details, please let us know by:

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE STUDY?

More information about the Growing Up in Australia Study is available on the Publications page including newsletters, discussion papers, articles and brochures, and publicity material.

PROVIDING FEEDBACK TO US

We have received some really positive feedback from parents who are involved in the study, and also some amusing anecdotes, including:

'Had a call from a lady who needed a new time use diary. Apparently her daughter thought it would be a good book to read in the bath.'

'Spoke to a really interesting dad who was a bit unsure about the study, but after hearing more information was so keen to do it that he wanted the interviewer to come in the next half hour - luckily she was in the area and she could go out and do the study.'

'A mother rang to thank us for including them in the study and let us know how wonderful the interviewer was and that they were looking forward to the next one.'

'Rang to remind a dad to fill in his questionnaire. He said his wife had nagged him to get it done, but he usually waits until the nagging stops before he does anything she asks!'

If you have any feedback about being in the study that you would like to pass on please contact us by email at lsacweb@aifs.gov.au or by phone on freecall 1800 005 508

CONTACT US

Growing Up in Australia
Freecall 1800 005 508
Australian Institute of Family Studies
Level 20, 485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000, Australia.
Tel: (03) 9214 7888; Fax: (03) 9214 7839;
Web: http://www.aifs.gov.au/growingup/

PREVIOUS INFORMATION

For more information about the background to the study, privacy, how the information will be used etc.