This report uses longitudinal data from children aged 0–10 years to investigate changes in children’s experiences and development over time. This provides insight into experiences of prolonged disadvantage and critical points of transition in children’s lives. Aspects of children’s family environments and experiences are also examined in parts of the report, including their parents’ mental health, their fathers’ involvement in their personal care activities, characteristics of their families’ housing arrangements, and experiences of families with a child with disability. 

Other sections of the report investigate aspects of children’s development, including numeracy skills, body mass index, exposure to television and other media, and access to preschool in the year before children start school. Some chapters also examine these variations in children’s development and experiences by different socio-demographic characteristics.