National Evaluation (2004–2008) of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy 2004–2009

Abstract

The Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) contracted the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), University of New South Wales (UNSW), and the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), to evaluate the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy (SFCS) 2004–2009. The evaluation ran from 2004–2008. The SFCS aimed to: -help families and communities build better futures for children -build family and community capacity -support relationships between families and the communities they live in -improve the ability of communities to help themselves. It contained four strands: Communities for Children (CfC), Invest to Grow (ItG), Local Answers (LA), and Choice and Flexibility in Child Care. The latter was not included in the evaluation. The national evaluation evaluated the first three strands (CfC, ItG and LA), with the main focus on CfC. This report presents the findings of the evaluation.