Stronger Families in Australia Study: The Impact of Communities for Children

Abstract

This report presents the results of the evaluation of the short-run impacts of the Communities for Children (CfC) initiative on child, family and community outcomes. The study was based on a three-wave longitudinal study of 2,202 families living in 10 sites that had a CfC program and five sites comparable to the CfC sites (contrast sites). The first wave collected baseline data, Wave 2 was conducted during the implementation phase of the CfC and Wave 3 was conducted in 2008 approximately one year after the CfC program was underway. The aim of the study was to measure changes in child, family and community outcomes in CfC communities over the funding period. The study found evidence that CfC had positive impacts including: fewer children were living in a jobless household parents reported less hostile or harsh parenting practices parents felt more effective in their roles as parents.