New insights for addressing childhood disadvantage

The ABS published new insights on childhood disadvantage today as part of the Life Course Data Initiative (LCDI). 

Steven Nicholas, ABS head of the Life Course Data Initiative, said: ‘The LCDI combines data from early childhood, health, education and community services to give communities and policy makers a clearer picture of disadvantage.

‘Insights published today help us understand how far Australians travel to access critical services, and provide insights into where childhood disadvantage is most concentrated within our communities.

‘As part of the LCDI, the ABS’ Community Data Liaison Officers are helping communities to use data to strengthen local decision making.’

The Service Accessibility Explorer is an interactive map and dashboard showing how far people needed to travel to reach the closest key services like childcare, schools, hospitals and GPs in 2021.

Today’s update also includes an article on children’s distance to services. 

'This analysis showed that nearly 80 per cent of children aged 5-12 years lived in areas where the median distance by road to a primary school was less than 2 km,’ Mr Nicholas said.

Today’s LCDI release includes new insights about household and area level disadvantage in 2021. This measures relative advantage and disadvantage by combining data on housing, family, education, occupation and income.

‘The analysis showed that 42 per cent of the most disadvantaged households were living in the most disadvantaged areas,’ Mr Nicholas said. 

‘However, we also found that 13 per cent of the most disadvantaged households were living in the most advantaged areas.

‘The data also showed that 42 per cent of all lone parent family households were the most disadvantaged households, compared to 6.5 per cent of couple family households.’

Today’s release includes two case studies and videos on how the LCDI Community Data Liaison Officers have made a difference at the local level:

• Turning data into action: How Families ACT is using ABS data to understand disadvantage in the ACT community.
• Behind every number is a story: How the Life Course Data Initiative (LCDI) community team helped Kookaburra Kids make data count.

The ABS is delivering the LCDI (as a pilot) in partnership with the ACT Government, South Australian Government and Adelaide University’s BetterStart. The pilot was established under the Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage Package led by the Commonwealth Treasury and Department of Social Services. For more information visit Life Course Data Initiative.