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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
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Submissions
2022
2021
- ParentsNext: examination of Social Security (Parenting payment participation requirements - class of persons) instrument 2021, attachments one and two
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Income Support) Bill 2021, attachments one and two
- Day of General Discussion: Children’s rights and alternative care – Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Inquiry into the Family Law Amendment (Federal Family Violence Orders) Bill 2021 – Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
- State Disability Plan 2021-2025 consultation – Office for Disability
- National Strategy to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse – National Office for Child Safety
- Purpose, intent and adequacy of the Disability Support Pension – Senate Community Affairs References Committee
- Implementing the successor plan to the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020 – Department of Social Services
- Inquiry into the use of school buses in rural and regional Victoria – Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Consistent Waiting Periods for New Migrants) Bill 2021 – Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Act – Department of Health
- Inquiry into Victoria’s criminal justice system – Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee
2020
- Victorian Youth Strategy – Department of Premier and Cabinet’
- Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Continuation of Cashless Welfare) Bill 2020 – Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
- Inquiry into homelessness in Victoria – Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Standing CommitteeÂ
- 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 DepartmentÂ
- Skills for Victoria’s growing economy – Skills for Victoria’s growing economy reviewÂ
- 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 MonitorÂ
- Joint 2020-21 Pre-Budget Submission – Minister for Housing and Assistant TreasurerÂ
2019
- Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health SystemÂ
- Inquiry into mental health – Productivity CommissionÂ
- ParentsNext, including its trial and subsequent broader rollout – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs References CommitteeÂ
- 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 CommitteeÂ
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Drug Testing Trial) Bill 2019 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation CommitteeÂ
- Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management to Cashless Debit Card Transition) Bill 2019 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation CommitteeÂ
- Review of the Victorian Child Safe Standards – Department of Health and Human ServicesÂ
- Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management and Cashless Welfare) Bill 2019 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation CommitteeÂ
- Inquiry into early childhood engagement of CALD communities – Legislative Assembly Legal and Social Issues CommitteeÂ
- Inquiry into a Legislated Spent Convictions Scheme – Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues CommitteeÂ
- Joint Select Committee on Australia’s Family Law System
- Â
2018
- Accessibility and quality of mental health services in rural and remote Australia – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs References Committee Â
- Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2017 and related bill – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation CommitteeÂ
- Joint Select Committee on oversight of the implementation of redress related recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual AbuseÂ
- National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018 and related bill – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation CommitteeÂ
- Review of the family law system – Australian Law Reform CommissionÂ
- Inquiry into local adoption – House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal AffairsÂ
- The state of children’s rights in Australia – National Children’s Commissioner Â
- Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeoplesÂ
- 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 AffairsÂ
- Victorian Family Violence Data Framework – consultation by the Crime Statistics AgencyÂ
- Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018 – inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional AffairsÂ
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)Â
- Investigation into financial support for kinship carers – Victorian Ombudsman’s OfficeÂ
- Inquiry into Youth Justice Centres in Victoria – Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues CommitteeÂ
- Justice Project consultation paper – Law Council of AustraliaÂ
- Family violence information sharing Ministerial guidelines – Family Safety VictoriaÂ
- Inquiry into career advice activities in Victorian schools – Parliament of Victoria Economic, Education, Jobs and Skills CommitteeÂ
- Feedback on the child information sharing reforms – Department of Education and TrainingÂ
2016
- Justice Legislation Amendment (Protective Services Officers and Other Matters) Bill 2017 – inquiry by the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations CommitteeÂ
- LOOKOUT Education Support Centres consultation paper – Victorian GovernmentÂ
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Family Payments Structural Reform and Participation Measures) Bill (No 2) 2015 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation CommitteeÂ
- Harm being done to Australian children through access to pornography on the internet – inquiry by the Senate Environment and Communications References CommitteeÂ
- Gender Equality Strategy – Victorian GovernmentÂ
- Review of the Adoption Act 1984 – Victorian Law Reform CommissionÂ
- Introducing competition and informed user choice into human services (preliminary findings report) – Productivity CommissionÂ
- Implementation of the Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Permanent Care and Other Matters) Act 2014 Consultation Paper – Commission for Children and Young PeopleÂ
2015
- Royal Commission into Family ViolenceÂ
- Roadmap for Reform: Strong Families, Safe Children – Department of Health and Human ServicesÂ
- Early childhood consultation paper – Department of Education and TrainingÂ
- Victoria’s 10-Year Mental Health Strategy – Department of Health and Human ServicesÂ
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Family Payments Structural Reform and Participation Measures) 2015 – inquiry by the Senate Community Affairs Legislation CommitteeÂ
- 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 AbuseÂ
- Issues Paper 9: Addressing the risk of child sexual abuse in primary and secondary schools – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual AbuseÂ
2013 - 2014
- Issues Paper 7: Statutory victims of crime compensation schemes – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual AbuseÂ
- Issues Paper 6: Redress schemes – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual AbuseÂ
- Issues Paper 5: Civil litigation – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual AbuseÂ
- Issues Paper 4: Preventing sexual abuse of children in out-of-home care – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual AbuseÂ
- Issues Paper 3: Child safe institutions – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual AbuseÂ
- Consultation paper on the Terms of Reference – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual AbuseÂ
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:Â
- These families are routinely in financial crisis directly linked to the design and delivery of the social security system Â
- This is having significant impacts on the ability of state-funded services to meet their needs.Â
An overview of the survey findings can be found here.Â
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.Â
Read our conference paper and view our presentation slides.Â
You can listen to David Tennant discussing these findings on ABC RN Life Matters (2 October 2019).Â
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)Â
- Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System interim report analysis (November 2019)Â
- Strengthening the Orange Door position paper (October 2019)Â
- End offshore processing brief (October 2018)Â
- Response to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into competition and informed user choice in Human Services final report (April 2018)Â
- Children in immigration detention position paper (February 2016)Â
Report summaries and fact sheets
Â
- Report on Government Services 2022 (child protection and youth justice services) – report summary (January 2022)
- Child protection Australia 2019-20 – report summary (May 2021)
- Report on Government Services 2021 (child protection and youth justice services) – report summary (January 2021)
- Child protection Australia 2018-19 – report summary (March 2020)Â
- Report on Government Services 2020 (child protection services) – report summary (January 2020)Â
- Australia’s children: In brief – report summary (December 2019)Â
- Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System interim report summary of recommendations (November 2019)Â
- Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) – fact sheet (October 2019) Â
- Child and youth mental health – report summary (June 2019)Â
