About us
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (the Institute) is an Australian Government statutory agency within the portfolio of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. From November 2007 to December 2011 the Institute was in the portfolio of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
It was established in February 1980 under the Australian Family Law Act 1975.
The Director of the Institute is a statutory appointment. Our current Director is Professor Alan Hayes. Professor Hayes has been re-appointed as Director for a further 5-year term under the provisions of the Australian Family Law Act 1975. This term will end in September 2014.
Our role is to conduct research and communicate findings that affect family wellbeing to:
- policy makers;
- service providers; and
- the broader community.
Strategic plan
The Strategic Plan 2009-2012 outlines our strategic direction and the strategies to achieve our objectives. Our goals are to:
- 1. Conduct high-quality research, relevant to policy and practice, on a broad range of issues regarding families in Australia;
- 2. Expand, through collaborative partnerships, understanding of factors affecting families;
- 3. Increase the effectiveness of our communications to foster greater understanding about factors that affect families; and
- 4. Build our organisational capability to achieve research and communication objectives.
Research plan
The Research Plan 2009-2012, Sustaining Families in Challenging Times, sets out our research program.
It focuses on the following themes
- 1. Economic wellbeing of families
- 2. Families and work
- 3. Social inclusion
- 4. Violence, abuse and neglect
- 5. Family transitions and family law
- 6. Children, young people and their families
- Research projects related to the 2009-2012 research themes.
Major research projects and Information exchange
The Research Program includes the following major projects and Information exchanges that the Institute manages under contract for the Australian Government, as follows:
- Australian Temperament Project
- Growing Up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)
- National Research Study on the Service Response to Past Adoption Practices
- Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA)
- Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse (AFRC)
- Closing the Gap Clearinghouse
- Communities and Families Clearinghouse Australia (CAFCA)
- National Child Protection Clearinghouse (NCPC)
Communicating research
The Institute communicates the findings of its research and analysis to a range of stakeholders including policy makers, service providers and the broader community.
- Publications
Our publications include the research journal, Family Matters, research papers, issues papers and newsletters. - Website
Our website reports on our programs and activities; provides access to our publications; disseminates information from our databases and resource collections; and promotes the development of networks with individuals and organisations concerned with family research and policy. - Seminar series
Our seminars present eminent speakers who focus on contemporary issues in national and international family research. - Information services
We play an important educational role through our research staff and library which contains a substantial, up-to-date collection of international and Australian research on family wellbeing in Australia. - Promising Practice Profiles
Based on the latest research, we identify and disseminate promising practice in the areas of early childhood, community development and early intervention, sexual assault and the provision of services to families