This report examines the early home environment of Australian children who became young carers, to what extent caring activities limit young people’s cognitive and psycho-social outcomes, and what explains the gaps between the developmental outcomes of young carers compared to their peers. It finds that caring does impair academic achievement of these young people.

This report provides an overview of national findings from the 2024 National Carer Survey regarding carers’ economic and social needs, caring relationships, carers’ experiences accessing services, and their health and wellbeing as well as diverse caring experiences. The findings indicate that many carers are living in acute poverty and need urgent support.

The benchmarks provide a set of research-informed policy recommendations that put respect, work, care and gender equality at the centre of public life as the foundation of a productive and growing economy. The benchmarks recognise and support the interconnections of work and care in six key domains.

A framework developed to support a more consistent and comprehensive approach to knowledge and skill development for supporting people living with dementia and their families and carers. It sets out the recommended standards for knowledge and skills across a core range of dementia learning domains and learning tiers, giving consideration to the range of professional...

This article describes the perspectives of family members supporting people with disability moving into individualised housing in the community. These transitions have benefits for people with disability and their families, but also bring adjustment challenges and stresses, illustrating the need for considered planning and support for family members.

This roadmap aims to address the breadth of issues faced by Autistic people in the Australian healthcare system. It outlines the path to improve the physical and mental health of Australia’s growing Autistic population.

The report on government services (RoGS) provides information on the equity, effectiveness and efficiency of government services in Australia. This report provides performance reporting for aged care services, services for people with disability, child protection services and youth justice services. It includes a summary of government expenditure in the sector.

This report provides an overview of the progress made on outcomes for people with disability in 2024. The framework covers seven outcome areas: employment and financial security, inclusive homes and communities, safety, rights and justice, personal and community support, education and learning, health and wellbeing, and community attitudes. It shows mixed outcomes, with an equal...

The strategy highlights the social and economic contributions of Australia's 3 million informal and unpaid carers, emphasising their need for greater recognition, support, and empowerment. It provides a framework for co-designing, developing and delivering actions to improve the lives of carers. Next steps for the strategy are laid out in the accompanying action plan.

This paper analyses survey collected data from parents or carers of children with disabilities (aged 2-17) on their use of services, experiences of disability support, and unmet needs for support. The findings indicate that there are substantial unmet needs for support among Australian children with disabilities and that these unmet needs are inequitably distributed.

This action plan is Australia’s national dementia policy framework which aims to improve the lives and care of people living with dementia, their carers and families over the next 10 years. It aims to provide a vision, guide action by Australian, state and territory governments, and drive improvements to services and systems. It sets out...

A report on a survey of young people with disability, parents, and caregivers about the government’s proposed General Foundational Supports which will be available to help all people with disability including those who are and are not on the NDIS. It finds a high degree of anxiety and confusion about the program.

Over the past six months, the Australian Government has been hearing from carers about what is important to them, including what supports and services they need to participate fully in society and fulfil their caring roles. This draft strategy invites feedback from people who wish to comment on the development of the final National Carer...

Outlined in these fact sheets are the first results of a national survey conducted every two years to inform the systemic advocacy and service design of the State and Territory Carer Organisations and their stakeholder networks.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most significant health challenges of our time, with the potential to impact millions of Australians and place a substantial strain on our health and aged care systems. This report proposes seven recommendations to achieve a future where Australians with Alzheimer’s disease live with dignity, supported by compassionate and comprehensive...

This report provides a comprehensive picture of dementia in Australia, including the latest statistics on dementia prevalence, burden of disease, deaths, expenditure, as well as the use of health and aged care services among people with dementia and information on carers of people with dementia.

Approximately 1 in 10 working-age Australians provide unpaid care to people with disabilities, long-term health issues, or age-related conditions. This research note shows that informal caregiving responsibilities have significant costs for those who provide these services; however, the overall labour market effects appear to be moderate.

This paper presents findings from the first large-scale prospective longitudinal study of children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia, comparing the socio-emotional outcomes of government- and non-government-managed care. It notes a range of factors that influence wellbeing but finds no evidence that the case management provider has a significant impact.

The report provides insights into the diversity of families and how their experiences differ. It highlights the many variations in experiences of these families in relation to health, finances, housing, education and community and underlines the need for policymakers to design systems, laws and services with the full range of family experiences in mind.

Unpaid carers in Australia, comprising family members, friends, or community members, provide essential care to individuals within existing relationships. This form of caregiving extends to 3.0 million Australians. The Australian Government is developing a new National Carer Strategy and as part of that work they want to hear from carers across the country about what...