Research commissioned by the government has revealed that up to 40% of disadvantaged children reside in middle-to-high income areas, emphasizing the need to consider various factors associated with disadvantage beyond just location. About 22% of Australian children begin school developmentally vulnerable due to preventable reasons, and this percentage rises to 33% in the most disadvantaged communities.
Researchers from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, led by paediatrician Prof. Sharon Goldfeld, linked de-identified national health, socioeconomic, and geographic datasets from nearly 300,000 Australian children. The federal education department tasked the researchers with identifying overlooked factors associated with disadvantage, which has left many vulnerable children unnoticed.
Prof. Goldfeld explained that a child’s disadvantage level and their geographic location don’t always align. “Between 30 to 40% of children in the most disadvantaged households don’t live in the most disadvantaged areas,” she said. Targeting only disadvantaged areas might miss many children who live in disadvantaged households.
For children in the least disadvantaged communities, 10.8% had family incomes in the lowest bracket ($56,137 or less). Although these children were considered least disadvantaged based on their area, they were disadvantaged based on child-level income measures. The report also found that not being read to at home was more strongly associated with child disadvantage than geographic location.
Goldfeld emphasized the need to understand and address the barriers that prevent parents from reading to their children, such as learning difficulties, time constraints, family violence, lack of money for books, or lack of access to libraries. “Disadvantage wears many hats,” she said, calling for comprehensive support for families from pregnancy through the first five years of life.
Prof. John Lynch of the University of Adelaide highlighted the need for incorporating jurisdictional service data, such as contact with child protection services and access to family violence services, to make the findings more meaningful. Lynch stressed that disadvantage should be viewed as a chronic condition requiring continuous support, similar to medical conditions like diabetes.
Prof. Gerry Redmond from Flinders University noted that the report underscores the significant issue of poverty in Australia. He criticized the government’s failure to address low income and provide subsidies for disadvantaged families, which adversely affects child development. Redmond stated that policies must consider both family and community circumstances to effectively address disadvantage.
