Family Matters articles from December 2000

Family Matters archives from December 2000

Director's Report.
December 22, 2000... This edition of Family Matters presents the keynote addresses and a selection of other key papers from the Institute's very successful Seventh National Conference, held in Sydney from 24-26 July 2000. The Minister for Family and Community...

Family futures: issues in research and policy.
December 22, 2000... The theme of the Australian Institute of Family Studies Seventh National Conference, held in Sydney on 24-26 July 2000, was Family futures: issues in research and policy. The aim of the conference was to look forward to identify...

Divorce and changing family practices in post-traditional society.
December 22, 2000... Moral decline or changes to moral practices? Families encounter a diversity of experiences in achieving satisfactory post-divorce arrangements for parenting. CAROLE SMART conceptualises divorce as a catalyst and an opportunity for personal...

What role for social capital in family policy.
December 22, 2000... In theory, social capital promises something for everyone. But a gulf between social capital theory and the way it is typically researched and featured in public policy could undermine its potential. This article attempts to bridge the gulf....

Valuing children, young people and families.
December 22, 2000... One of the most important issues in Australia today is the way we care for, develop, value and celebrate our children and young people. GILLIAN CALVERT outlines some of the challenges facing communities, researchers and policy makers. As...

WELFARE REFORM IN AMERICA.
December 22, 2000... In the United States, a major reform of the welfare system has dramatically reduced the number of sole parents claiming benefits. Most former claimants are now in employment, and the remarkable success of this reform has clear lessons for...

One language, three accents.
December 22, 2000... WELFARE REFORM IN THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA The terms in the welfare debates -- mutual obligations, welfare dependency, the third way, social exclusion, the underclass -- assume a shared framework. Given different...

Parents, participation and planning.
December 22, 2000... The Parenting Payment Intervention Pilot was conducted by the Department of Family and Community Services between September 1999 and March 2000. The aim of the pilot was to trial active interventions that assist parents to reduce their reliance...

MINISTER OPENS AIFS CONFERENCE.
December 22, 2000... The Minister for Family and Community Services, SENATOR THE HON. JOCELYN NEWMAN, opened the Institute's Seventh National Conference, held in Sydney from 24-26 July 2000, the theme of which was Family futures: issues in research and policy. We...

LETTERS.
December 22, 2000... All letters intended for publication should be clearly addressed to the Letters Editor, Family Matters. They can be posted, faxed or emailed. Letters intended for the next (Spring/Summer 2000) issue should be sent before 12 November 2000....

Families in the news.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... The occasion of the last edition of Family Matters in May, the Australian Institute of family Studies conference in July, and the release in July of a new book, Reforming the Australian Weffare State, have kept the Institute, and family...

MELBOURNE INSTITUTE FORUM.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... Staff of the Australian Institute of Family Studies attended a Forum hosted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research on 6 April 2000.The Forum focused on the Interim Report of the Welfare Review Reference Group. ...

New AIFS book on youth suicide prevention.(Valuing Young Lives published by The Australian Institute of Family Studies)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... The Australian Institute of Family Studies is pleased to announce the release of Valuing Young Lives -- the first, overview volume in a series a five reports that comprise the Institute's independent evaluation of the National Youth Suicide...

New report on indicators of social and family functioning.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... A new report published by the Department of Family and Community Services entitled, Indicators of Social and Family Functioning, focuses on developing measures of how well families and communities are doing, and addresses current gaps in our...

INSTITUTE HOSTS TRAINING SEMINAR.(Australian Institute of Family Studies family support workers' training)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... For professional helpers, the first step in assisting families through difficult circumstances is to determine the family situation and how it is affecting individual members. From this basis sound judgements can be made about the actions and...

Minister launches report on child maltreatment and domestic violence.(Larry Anthony)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... As part of National Child Protection Week last August, the Federal Minister for Community Services, Mr Larry Anthony, launched a key issues paper, Exploring family violence: the links between child maltreatment and domestic violence, which...

Families and social welfare.(Review)
December 22, 2000... The Australian Institute of Family Studies was pleased to have its new book on families and social welfare launced at the AIFS Conferece by the Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Jocelyn Newman. The Australian welfare...

New legislative developments.(Australian family law)
December 22, 2000... Of particular note among the recent developments in family law are proposed changes to the Child Support Scheme, and developments related to the Federal Magistrates Service and the Family Law Amendment Bill. Also discussed in this Update are...

Parent education.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... The following references have been selected from the Australian Family & Society Abstracts database, produced by the Australian Institute of Family Studies to monitor the research, policy and practice literature on families and the social...

NEW ON THE AIFS WEB www.aifs.org.au/.(Australian Institute of Family Studies)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... Australia is one of the top ten countries for Internet use, making the WorldWide Web an effective medium to disseminate research and policy information on Australian family issues. This column reports new features on the Australian...

STATISTICAL RESOURCES.(family studies organizations)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... The following is a selection of Australian organisations providing statistical resources relevant to family studies and some key links to resources in other countries. Australia Australian Bureau of Statistics www.abs.gov.au/ From...

Sam's Sunday Dad.(Review)
December 22, 2000... Sam's Sunday Dad, by Margaret Wild and Lorraine Hannay, Margaret Hamilton Books, Hunters Hill, 1999. This Australian picture book looks at a week in the life of Sam, a young boy whose parents have separated. The book recounts the days in...

My family's changing: a first look at family break-up.(Review)
December 22, 2000... My family's changing: a first look at family break-up, by Pat Thomas, Macdonald Young Books, Hove, 1998. This book is intended to be read with a child. It explains in a simple way what happens when parents divorce, both in a practical and a...

Two of everything.(Review)
December 22, 2000... Two of everything, by Babette Cole, Red Fox, London, 1997. Using humour to explain divorce/separation to children, this book is written from the point of view of two children who have `problem parents'. Their parents disagree on everything,...

I live with Daddy.(Review)
December 22, 2000... I live with Daddy, by Judith Vigna, Albert Whitman and Company, Morton Grove, 1997. This book tells the story of Olivia, who lives with her father after her parents divorce. Her mother is a television reporter who works long hours,...

It's just different now.(Review)
December 22, 2000... It's just different now, written by Linda Espie, illustrated by Gabrielle Greig, Spectrum Publications, Richmond, 1999. This Australian picture book is aimed at children aged 3-7 years. In the note to adult readers at the beginning of the...

Dear Daddy.(Review)
December 22, 2000... Dear Daddy, by John Schindel with illustrations by Dorothy Donohue, Albert Whitman and Company, Morton Grove, 1995. This story book tells the story of Jesse, a young boy whose father lives separate from the rest of the family. It shows how...

Mama and Daddy bear's divorce.(Review)
December 22, 2000... Mama and Daddy bear's divorce, by Cornelia Maude Spelman with illustrations by Kathy Parkinson, Albert Whitman and Company, Morton Grove, 1998. This picture book explains divorce to very young children by using a bear family as an example....

Since Dad left.(Review)
December 22, 2000... Since Dad left, by Caroline Binch, The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, 1998. Set in rural England, this picture book tells the story of Sid, a young boy whose parents have split up. The book shows Sid's initial anger, confusion and resentment...

Adult readership.(Review)
December 22, 2000... Talking with children about things that matter, by Sheila Kitzinger and Celia Kitzinger, Pandora, London, 2000. $16.95. This book discusses how parents can communicate and discuss values with their children on important matters. Young...

Families and social welfare.(Review)
December 22, 2000... The Australian welfare system is changing. A new agenda is emerging and radical reforms are in the air. Reforming the Australian Welfare State, edited by the Institute's Research Manager Peter Saunders, is a timely collection of essays that...

Youth suicide prevention.(Review)
December 22, 2000... Valuing Young Lives is the first in a series of five volumes that comprise the independent evaluation of the National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (for further details see p.60). ...

Social capital and public policy.(Review)
December 22, 2000... In drawing together contributions from authors writing from a diversity of professional experiences, academic disciplines and political positions, Social Capital and Public Policy in Australia offers a number of different routes into discussion...

The cost of children.(Review)
December 22, 2000... In response to the large number of enquiries it receives on estimating the costs of children, the Institute has published A Guide to Calculating the Costs of Children. The Guide brings together in one publication four key articles on...

Family Matters 2000.(Review)
December 22, 2000... Subscribe now for the next three exciting and informative issues of Family Matters. You can renew existing subscription or take out a new one by returning the renewal notices we have mailed to you, or by filling in the Order Form on this...

Looking after children.(Review)
December 22, 2000... The `Looking After Children' approach is an assessment, case-planning and review system designed to promote positive development outcomes among children and young people who are required to live away from their families of origin. This...