Family Matters
Family Matters is the research journal of the Australian Institute of Family Studies. It contains the latest Institute research and contributions from Australia's most respected social scientists, social policy analysts, service provider and research agencies. Prospective authors should read our Guidelines for Authors. All research papers are subject to a formal review process.
Changes to Family Matters publication and subscriptions
From 2011-12, access to Family Matters has changed. All issues will be available for free download from the AIFS website as soon as they are published. Older issues will also progressively be made available for free download.
However, should readers wish to continue to receive printed versions of the journal, Family Matters will still be available in hard copy, on a subscription basis.
In conjunction with these changes, from issue 89, AIFS will also move to publishing only two issues of Family Matters per financial year.
You can sign up to aifs-alert or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be notified when the latest issue of Family Matters becomes available on the AIFS website.
No. 89, 2011
Protecting children: Evolving systems
Examining child protection issues, including the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children; child protection and law reforms; links between child maltreatment and adolescent offending; neurobiological effects of childhood maltreatment; childhood trauma and psychosis; and transitioning from out-of-home care. It also looks at the issue of coordinated family support.
No. 87, 2011
Sustaining families in challenging times
Who's really time poor; children in poverty; UK family policy, lone mothers and paid work; Families at Risk; Living-apart-together (LAT) relationships; Past adoption practices
No. 88, 2011
Family resources, roles and responsibilities
Focuses on a range of issues related to family roles and responsibilities. Topics covered include: intergenerational bequests; fathering in Australia; family violence; the effect of pregnancy and newborns on the household budget; grandparenting and the 2006 family law reforms; shared care time; and family involvement in interventions for adolescent problem behaviours.
No. 86, 2011
Family law
A summary of the AIFS Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms; care time arrangements ater the 2006 reforms; post-separation parenting; child support; relocation disputes; work-family strain amongst mothers
No. 84, 2010
Family and place
Neighbourhood influences on young children’s problems; addressing disadvantage; child developmental systems; Communities for Children; children’s exposure to parental and familial adversities; Family Relationship Centres; family dispute; Sharia law; child support and Welfare to Work reforms; aftermath of natural disaster
No. 85, 2010
Violence, abuse and neglect
Connections between childhood family experiences and wellbeing in early adulthood; young people with parents who use alcohol or other drugs; family violence; sexual assault victim/survivors' criminal justice needs; family contact for infants in out-of-home care;kinship care; teenagers contributing to household work; collaborative law; dispute resolution choices
No. 83, 2009
Hard times
Impacts of recessions on families; joblessness, family relations, and children’s development; financial disadvantage and children’s school readiness; young people transitioning from state out of home care; social isolation among retired men and women; Family Violence Protect Act
No. 81, 2009
Making ends meet
Aspirations for work and family; working poor in Australia; flexible work arrangements; supporting children at risk of abuse and neglect; the CDEP scheme; parenting skills; grandparents and grandchildren
No. 82, 2009
Family portraits
Parents and their young adult children; children's participation in family law disputes; characteristics of cohabiters; children's relationships with step-parents; effective caring in carer support sector; sole-parent families; Indigenous social exclusion
No. 80, 2008
Family dimensions
Balancing work and family; protecting and promoting children's wellbeing; involving fathers in child and family services; a history of the Australian social security system
No. 78, 2008
Challenged lives
Challenges that face some families - poverty, deprivation, homelessness, caring for a disabled family member, parenting following separation, and child abuse
No. 79, 2008
Parenting with care
The valuable work of Growing Up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)