The most common illicit drug used by women of reproductive age and by pregnant women is cannabis (DrugInfo, 2005). Although there are limited national data available on illicit substance use among parents in Australia, the 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey estimated that 12% of parents with children aged 0–14 years used either an illicit...

This Policy Brief explores the evidence regarding improving access to services for marginalised and vulnerable families with young children, and how families can best be engaged and supported. Why is this issue important? While most families of young children are well supported socially and make good use of services, some do not (Carbone et al...

In an effort to improve outcomes for young children and their families, governments in all developed nations are making efforts to integrate services more effectively. This briefing paper explores the rationale behind these efforts, what is known about their effectiveness, and the implications for policy-makers and practitioners.

It is well established that the vulnerable groups in our society (those who need our services the most), access services the least. This was first termed the ‘inverse care law’ (Hart, 1971) in 1971 and remains true today. It is also widely accepted that these groups commonly suffer the worst outcomes, be they Aboriginal or...

The relationship an infant has with their primary caregiver (in our society, this is usually the mother) has a profound impact on the infant’s future development. It is now well recognised that experiences in the first weeks and months of life help shape the developing brain; the most important of these experiences is the relationship...