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Resources: CFRC News CFRC Brochure Annual Report 2007

Research Priority Areas

1. Diverse and changing families
   Families in Australia are diverse in their structure (e.g., nuclear, single parent, blended families), in their culture (different countries of origin and religions), and in their levels of stability and coherence. The focus of research in this area will be on learning within and beyond families of differing structures and cultures and on the nature of inclusion and participation in diverse families. Studies will include the traditional focus on mothers and children but will also include fathers, extended family, and other carers of children beyond the family such as foster carers and teachers. Families from different cultures will be investigated with a particular focus on Indigenous families, their widely different cultural norms about families and how these affect attitudes toward society and schooling.
2. Children's learning at home and beyond
   This research will incorporate a new way of looking at learning. It will extend the analysis of learning beyond the development of cognitive skills in schools and other educational institutions to consider social learning in the context of family and community settings. Of particular interest are the ways in which settings are interconnected, the ways in which parents choose settings outside the family or "opt out" of some settings, and the ways in which positive experiences in one setting can affect experiences in others. Learning social rules governing interactions with peers and adults will be a particular focus as well as approaches to parenting and how families respond when children are exposed to violence and bullying.
3. Health and well-being of families
   Research will focus on how families learn about and manage health issues. Examples of health and well-being issues for families are parenting issues, children or parents with a disability, obesity, relationship difficulties and mental health concerns. Research will examine the way that families learn about family health and well-being from a variety of different contexts such as parenting programs, family relationship services and public health campaigns. It will also explore how families manage work and family responsibilities.
4. Early childhood research and policy
   This area will explore the relationship between research and policy involving children, families and social services, including education and care. Policy implications of the Centre's research will be part of this focus as will the factors other than research that lead to the development of social policy. A particular focus will be policies of universal preschool in Australia and how they impact on children and families.