Australian Institute of Family Studies
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is an Australian Government statutory agency in the portfolio of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. It was established in February 1980 under the Australian Family Law Act 1975. The functions of AIFS are:
- to help to identify the factors affecting marital and family stability in Australia by conducting, encouraging and coordinating research; and
- to promote the protection of the family as the fundamental group unit in society.
The Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, Professor Alan Hayes, was appointed in September 2004.
Research
The Australian Institute of Family Studies is the Government’s principal source of specialist research expertise on families, and is uniquely placed to provide research and advice on family wellbeing. The Institute undertakes high-quality research that informs the Australian Government and the community and influences policy, services and support for families. A key role of the Institute is disseminating widely and effectively the results of its research to a range of stakeholders.
The research journal Family Matters is the Institute’s main dissemination vehicle. Its primary purpose is to keep local and international readers informed about Institute research and about relevant family-related work by other Australian and overseas researchers. Institute research is also published in a number of other formats including Research papers, Issues papers and Newsletters. See the Publications page for details.
The Institute's capacity to deliver high-quality research is vital to underpin policy development in areas such as: balancing work and family life; child care; family law; social inclusion; relationships pathways; the particular issues faced by low- to middle-income families; Indigenous families; issues affecting regional and remote area families; the impact of the welfare system on workforce participation; and the implications of an ageing population.
The Strategic Plan 2006-2008 was developed in 2006 and provided the strategic directions for the Institute, for the three-year period.
The development of the Institute’s Research Plan for 2006-2008 involved extensive consultations with key stakeholders in all states and territories. Consultations involved a wide range of local, state/territory and Australian Government departments, universities, peak bodies and community sector organisations.
During 2008, the Strategic Plan and the Research Plan will be reviewed and redeveloped for the period 2009-2012.
The Institute is responsible for the exploration, description and analysis of issues affecting family functioning and wellbeing. In addition to research projects funded from the annual Appropriation, it also manages six major contracts - Growing Up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC); the Family Law Reform Evaluation; the National Evaluation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy (SFCS); the National Child Protection Clearinghouse (NCPC); the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA); and the Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse (AFRC).
The Institute is a widely used resource in the community and plays an important educational role. By drawing together the latest research and best practice staff at the Institute are involved in the improvement and adoption of best practice in the areas of child protection, sexual assault and the provision of services to families.
The Institute is also a consortium partner with the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research and the Australian Council for Educational Research for the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA).
Advisory Council
The AIFS Advisory Council [PDF], approved by the responsible Minister, provides advice to the Director about the Institute’s strategic research directions.
Ethics Committee
The role of the Institute’s Ethics Committee [PDF] is to ensure that the ethical standards outlined in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans are met in all research projects undertaken by the Institute. The Committee is registered with the Australian Health Ethics Committee, a sub-committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Risk Assessment and Audit Committee (RAAC)
The Risk Assessment and Audit Committee (RAAC) [PDF] plays a key role in the Institute’s corporate governance. It helps ensure effective and efficient use of resources by reviewing the performance and operation of internal controls and performance management systems.
Staff
The Institute employs approximately 60 staff under a certified agreement [PDF].
Stakeholders
Key users of the Institute’s research include the Australian, state/territory and local governments; the education sector; and professionals in the family services sector, community organisations and non-government organisations.
See also: