Menu
Research and Submissions
The Centre’s Social Policy and Research team conducts policy analysis, prepares submissions and undertakes research to advance the rights and wellbeing of children and families. We use evidence to inform our work and influence government policy, advance the goals of the child and family services sector, and advocate for change to benefit those who need it most.
Below you will find a selection of the team’s work, including submissions, research, policy analysis and policy statements, and report summaries and fact sheets to assist the work of our sector.
Primary Centre contact: Dr Michele Lonsdale
Director of Social Policy and Research
michele.lonsdale@cfecfw.asn.au
Submissions
2020
- Inquiry into homelessness in Victoria – Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Standing Committee
- Addressing regional disadvantage: Infrastructure priorities for the regions – Infrastructure Victoria
- Age of Criminal Responsibility Working Group review – Council of Attorney’s-General
- Mental health, draft report – Productivity Commission
- Australia’s Draft National Report for the Universal Period Review – Attorney-General’s Department
- Skills for Victoria’s growing economy – Skills for Victoria’s growing economy review
- Higher Education Support Amendment (Job-Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Remote Students) Bill 2020 – Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
- Monitoring the family violence reforms – Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor
- Joint 2020-21 Pre-Budget Submission – Minister for Housing and Assistant Treasurer
2019
- Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System
- Inquiry into mental health – Productivity Commission
- ParentsNext, including its trial and subsequent broader rollout – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs References Committee
- Adequacy of Newstart and related payments and alternative mechanisms to determine the level of income support payments in Australia – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs References Committee
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Drug Testing Trial) Bill 2019 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management to Cashless Debit Card Transition) Bill 2019 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Review of the Victorian Child Safe Standards – Department of Health and Human Services
- Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management and Cashless Welfare) Bill 2019 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Inquiry into early childhood engagement of CALD communities – Legislative Assembly Legal and Social Issues Committee
- Inquiry into a Legislated Spent Convictions Scheme – Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee
2018
- Accessibility and quality of mental health services in rural and remote Australia – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs References Committee
- Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2017 and related bill – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Joint Select Committee on oversight of the implementation of redress related recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018 and related bill – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Review of the family law system – Australian Law Reform Commission
- Inquiry into local adoption – House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs
- The state of children’s rights in Australia – National Children’s Commissioner
- Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Bill 2018, Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018 – inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
- Victorian Family Violence Data Framework – consultation by the Crime Statistics Agency
- Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018 – inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
2017
- The provision of services under the NDIS for people with psychosocial disabilities related to a mental health condition – inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
- Investigation into financial support for kinship carers – Victorian Ombudsman’s Office
- Inquiry into Youth Justice Centres in Victoria – Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee
- Justice Project consultation paper – Law Council of Australia
- Family violence information sharing Ministerial guidelines – Family Safety Victoria
- Inquiry into career advice activities in Victorian schools – Parliament of Victoria Economic, Education, Jobs and Skills Committee
- Feedback on the child information sharing reforms – Department of Education and Training
2016
- Justice Legislation Amendment (Protective Services Officers and Other Matters) Bill 2017 – inquiry by the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee
- LOOKOUT Education Support Centres consultation paper – Victorian Government
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Family Payments Structural Reform and Participation Measures) Bill (No 2) 2015 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Harm being done to Australian children through access to pornography on the internet – inquiry by the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee
- Gender Equality Strategy – Victorian Government
- Review of the Adoption Act 1984 – Victorian Law Reform Commission
- Introducing competition and informed user choice into human services (preliminary findings report) – Productivity Commission
- Implementation of the Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Permanent Care and Other Matters) Act 2014 Consultation Paper – Commission for Children and Young People
2015
- Royal Commission into Family Violence
- Roadmap for Reform: Strong Families, Safe Children – Department of Health and Human Services
- Early childhood consultation paper – Department of Education and Training
- Victoria’s 10-Year Mental Health Strategy – Department of Health and Human Services
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Family Payments Structural Reform and Participation Measures) 2015 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Inquiry into the Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Restrictions on the Making of Protection Orders) Bill 2015 – Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee
- Issues Paper 10: Advocacy and support and therapeutic treatment services – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- Issues Paper 9: Addressing the risk of child sexual abuse in primary and secondary schools – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
2013 - 2014
- Issues Paper 7: Statutory victims of crime compensation schemes – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- Issues Paper 6: Redress schemes – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- Issues Paper 5: Civil litigation – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- Issues Paper 4: Preventing sexual abuse of children in out-of-home care – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- Issues Paper 3: Child safe institutions – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- Consultation paper on the Terms of Reference – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Research
The Centre and FamilyCare conducted a survey in May and June 2019 to gather information from child and family services practitioners about the impact of social security policy on single mothers and their children. We received 169 responses and found that:
- These families are routinely in financial crisis directly linked to the design and delivery of the social security system
- This is having significant impacts on the ability of state-funded services to meet their needs.
An overview of the survey findings can be found here.
The findings were presented by David Tennant (CEO, FamilyCare) and Kelly Bowey (Senior Policy and Research Officer) at the Australian Social Policy Conference on 9 September 2019.
Read our conference paper and view our presentation slides.
You can listen to David Tennant discussing these findings on ABC RN Life Matters (2 October 2019).
Policy analysis and position statements
- Raise the age of criminal responsibility position statement (May 2020)
- Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System interim report statement (November 2019)
- Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System interim report analysis (November 2019)
- Strengthening the Orange Door position paper (October 2019)
- End offshore processing brief (October 2018)
- Response to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into competition and informed user choice in Human Services final report (April 2018)
- Children in immigration detention position paper (February 2016)
Report summaries and fact sheets
- Child protection Australia 2018-19 – report summary (March 2020)
- Report on Government Services 2020 (child protection services) – report summary (January 2020)
- Australia’s children: In brief – report summary (December 2019)
- Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System interim report summary of recommendations (November 2019)
- Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) – fact sheet (October 2019)
- Child and youth mental health – report summary (June 2019)
