RP.20.02
Analysis of linked longitudinal administrative data on child protection involvement for NSW families with domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug issues and mental health issues
18 months
Interconnecting complex issues are found to double the odds of a child entering into out-of-home care.
This project analysed the NSW Human Services Dataset, which contains linked longitudinal administrative data on children born or living in New South Wales since 1990 and their family members, with 7 million records representing over 60 datasets from 11 government agencies, over a 27-year period.
The baseline data in 2018 included 3,136,665 children and these data are refreshed annually.
Research aim/s
The research set out to produce population statistics to strengthen the evidence base for children and young people impacted by intersecting risk factors of domestic and family violence, drug and alcohol issues and mental health issues.
Methods
The analyses focused on children who had their first ever report to the NSW Child Protection Helpline (the Helpline) from January 2004 to June 2018 (n = 584,365) and the subsequent 12-month period after their first Helpline report. It explored records of parental domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug use and mental health issues as recorded in Helpline reports, and children’s entries into out-of-home care.
Parents’ interactions with court appearances, police reports, use of mental health services, and admissions to hospital, were also examined for their co-occurrence with issues recorded in the child protection system.
Significance
This project has generated new evidence about the prevalence of co-occurring issues and the interlinking nature of these issues for families with child protection involvement. For the first time, this study has produced prevalence rates of multiple risk factors, time trends, geographic clusters in New South Wales, and the predictive power of multiple risk factors for children’s entry into out-of-home care.
The project underscores the importance of greater investment in integrated models of care for MH issues, AOD use and DFV, along with evidence-based, trauma-informed early interventions for children. These integrated models of care must address the whole person and the intersecting nature of this complex constellation of issues.
Downloads
Research report
Analysis of linked longitudinal administrative data on child protection involvement for NSW families with domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug issues and mental health issues
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In brief
New study uses NSW Human Services Dataset to analyse child protection involvement for families experiencing domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug issues and mental health issues
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Research report
Critical interpretive synthesis: Child protection involvement for families with domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug issues, and mental health issues
View moreResearchers
Project lead
Professor Amy Conley Wright, Director, Research Centre for Children and Families, The University of Sydney
Research team
Dr Betty Luu, Research Fellow, The University of Sydney
Professor Stefanie Schurer, Professor of Economics and Leader of Economics of Human Development research node at the Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney
Associate Professor Susan Heward-Belle, Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Associate Director, Research Centre for Children and Families, The University of Sydney
Dr Susan Collings, Senior Research Fellow, Research Centre for Children and Families, The University of Sydney
Associate Professor Emma Barrett, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, The University of Sydney
Laura Metcalfe, Research Assistant, The University of Sydney
Research partners
Human Services Data Set Governance Advisory Committee FACS Insights, Analysis and Research (FACSIAR)
Budget
$108,000
This project is funded by Australian Commonwealth, state and territory governments under ANROWS’s 2020–2022 Core Grant round.