Using five waves of LSAC data, this report covers a variety of aspects of the ways in which Australian children’s experiences and environments affect their prospects and progress, from birth to 13 years old.

This report casts light on diversity and change in children’s family structures, and how the experience of household complexity changes as children grow. The report also examines the association between pubertal status and children’s emotional functioning, school functioning and their relationships with peers. Rates of full, partial, and non-immunisation of Australian children are presented in a chapter exploring how these rates vary with different demographic, psychosocial and attitudinal factors. 

Another section of the report investigate the different ways grandparents are part of children’s lives, looking at grandparents who are co-resident or who provide child care, and looking at the amount of contact that children have with their grandparents. The factors associated with parents’ choice of primary school for their children are also examined. Patterns of screen time among Australian children are also explored, looking at how much time boys and girls at different ages spend watching television, using the computer or playing electronic games.