Labour Cost in Family Day Care in Australia

n Australia, there are currently around 10,500 workers providing formal funded child care in either their homes or the homes of the children. They provide care for approximately 95,000 children countrywide and span across the many geographical regions o f the country. They provide care in both standard and non-standard hours. The purpose of this study is to determine the economic, social and institutional factors that determine the costs of providing family day care services (FDC) across geographical areas in Australia. The study was based on three sets of data: a web-based financial survey designed to elicit basic financial and activity data for the agencies. The survey was sent in mid 2008 to all national providers obtaining useable response rate of45%. The second data set was qualitative data obtained from in-depth interviews with 10% o f all FDC agencies. The last data source was administrative data from the Australia's Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations. Econometric analysis of expenditure by FDC agencies identified that expenses is largely determined by the number of full time equivalent places with organisational structure explaining 84% of the variation. Staff costs inclusive of on-cost account for just over 70 per cent o fall costs. Qualitative data identified recruitment of new careers, quality assurance and accreditation, training and supporting careers, with high needs children as the main cost drivers. The paper concludes by providing evidence of the important role that this sector plays in Australian childcare industry and examples o f innovative steps being undertaken by providers to ensure continued financial viability

Labour Cost in Family Day Care in Australia

n Australia, there are currently around 10,500 workers providing formal funded child care in either their homes or the homes of the children. They provide care for approximately 95,000 children countrywide and span across the many geographical regions o f the country. They provide care in both standard and non-standard hours. The purpose of this study is to determine the economic, social and institutional factors that determine the costs of providing family day care services (FDC) across geographical areas in Australia. The study was based on three sets of data: a web-based financial survey designed to elicit basic financial and activity data for the agencies. The survey was sent in mid 2008 to all national providers obtaining useable response rate of45%. The second data set was qualitative data obtained from in-depth interviews with 10% o f all FDC agencies. The last data source was administrative data from the Australia's Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations. Econometric analysis of expenditure by FDC agencies identified that expenses is largely determined by the number of full time equivalent places with organisational structure explaining 84% of the variation. Staff costs inclusive of on-cost account for just over 70 per cent o fall costs. Qualitative data identified recruitment of new careers, quality assurance and accreditation, training and supporting careers, with high needs children as the main cost drivers. The paper concludes by providing evidence of the important role that this sector plays in Australian childcare industry and examples o f innovative steps being undertaken by providers to ensure continued financial viability

Family-Centred Unemployment in Four Disadvantaged Areas in Australia

Australia’s unemployment rate is one of the lowest of any OECD country. However, for families with children, partnered and lone parents, the rate of unemployment and most importantly joblessness is one of the highest at 14.7% and 46% respectively in 2009. This research project aims to better understand problems and issues that face families in which there is at least one family member who is long­term unemployed. The study focuses on the experiences on jobless families in four disadvantaged areas in Australia, with three surveyed at the beginning of the global financial crisis (GFC) and one area to be studied post the GFC. This paper will present methodologies of quantitative survey of long term jobless coupled with qualitative data obtained from the conduct of focus groups and interviews; and findings of the major contributors of the jobless families’ current circumstances including lack of basic skills and qualifications, low levels of formal education and deep lack of confidence and motivation.

Framework for the cost benefit analysis of the NSW Department of Community Services Brighter Futures Program. CHERE Working Paper 2009/4.

Brighter Futures is the NSW DOCS early intervention program targeting children aged 0 to 8. The program is designed to ?support pregnant women and families with young children aged 0-8 years who require long-term support (up to two years) by a range of services. The program gives particular priority to those families with children under three years.? (Department of Community Services, 2007). To be able to access the Brighter Futures program, parents must also have a vulnerability that is likely to worsen if not addressed with the services and support available to the parents and children which include home visits, quality children?s services and a parenting program (Department of Community Services, 2007). A Consortium led by the Social Policy Research Centre, and including the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) at UTS and Pamela Meadows from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, has been commissioned to undertake the evaluation of all aspects of the program. An important component of the evaluation process is economic evaluation. This paper is set out as follows; Section 2 provides a brief introduction to economic appraisal in relation to the Brighter Futures program and sets out the links between the envisaged cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost benefit analysis (CBA). It also outlines the broad challenges faced when undertaking economic appraisals in the field of program such as Brighter Futures. Section 3 sets out a methodological framework for undertaking the CBA of the Brighter Futures program, including methods for addressing key evaluation challenges and Section 4 outlines the main tasks for the CBA work.ealry intervention, Brighter Futures, economic evaluation

Short-term international study programs and intercultural maturity development : does an enhanced appreciation for differing cultural perspectives continue to progress when students return home?

Numerous studies have shown that international mobility programmes enhance students’ intercultural maturity development, regardless of duration, few have attempted to ascertain whether this change is long lasting. This study tested students two years after their participation to see if their intercultural maturity levels continued to progress, plateaued, or regressed in the intervening period. 93% of the study cohort continued to progress in their level of intercultural maturity in at least one dimension, with none regressing, and only one plateauing. This suggests that the shifts in identity, values, and skills that the students develop are far-reaching and profound

The impact of campus-based therapy dogs on the mood and affect of university students

University students experience a high level of stress, which could potentially affect how they manage stressful situations beyond university, such as when entering the workforce. Although universities offer counseling services and various health promotion programs, there is reluctance and negative perceptions about utilizing these from students. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of therapy dog interventions in human interactions that is quantifiable and embraces the elements of health promotion. This study aimed to investigate the impact of therapy dog interventions on students’ moods across a multi-campus university during a 2-week final examination period. Two hundred and sixty-five students participated in the study involving a multi-campus university. The intervention group and control group completed a questionnaire involving the positive affect negative affect schedule (PANAS), a 20-item scale that measures a person’s affect at the time. The intervention group (n = 170) had a higher average of total PANAS scores (mean = 77.63, standard deviation = 10.975) compared to the control group (n = 95) (mean = 69.41, standard deviation = 13.442). The results were statistically significant (mean difference = 8.219, 95% CI = 5.213–11.224, p < 0.05) with a t-score of 5.385. Students who engaged with therapy dogs on campus during the examination period were more likely to have a more positive affect. The results suggest that universities should include therapy dog programs within their health promotion programs for students, as these may help improve their mood and reduce the stress associated with university examinations

Health impacts and economic costs of residential fires (RESFIRES study) : protocol for a population-based cohort study using linked administrative data

Introduction: Residential fires remain a significant global public health problem. It is recognised that the reported number of residential fires, fire-related injuries and deaths significantly underestimate the true number. Australian surveys show that around two-thirds of respondents who experience a residential fire are unwilling to call the fire service, and international studies highlight that many individuals who access medical treatment for fire-related injuries do not have an associated fire incident report. The objectives of this study are to quantify the incidence, health impacts, risk factors and economic costs of residential fires in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods and analysis: The RESFIRE cohort will include all persons living at an NSW residential address which experienced a fire over the period 2005–2014. Nine data sources will be linked to provide a comprehensive picture of individual trajectories from fire event to first responder use (fire and ambulance services), emergency department presentations, hospital admissions, burn out-patient clinic use and death. These data will be used to describe the circumstances and characteristics of residential fires, provide a profile of fire-related injuries, examine trends over time, and explore the relationship between fire circumstance, emergency and health services utilisation, and health outcomes. Regression modelling, including multilevel modelling techniques, will be used to explore factors that impact on these relationships. Costing models will be constructed. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the NSW Population and Health Service Research Ethics Committee and Western Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee. The study reference group comprises key stakeholders including Fire and Rescue NSW, policy agencies, health service providers and burns clinicians ensuring wide dissemination of results and translation of data to inform practice and identify areas for targeted prevention. Summary reports in formats designed for policy audiences in parallel with scientific papers will be produced

Estimating the total number of residential fire-related incidents and underreported residential fire incidents in New South Wales, Australia by using linked administrative data

The rate of fires, and particularly residential fires, is a serious concern in industrialized countries. However, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the reported numbers of residential fire incidents as official figures are based on fires reported to fire response agencies only. This population-based study aims to quantify the total number of residential fire incidents regardless of reporting status. The cohort comprised linked person-level data from Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) and health system and death records. It included all persons residing at a residential address in New South Wales, Australia, that experienced a fire between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2014. The capture-recapture method was used to estimate the underreporting number of residential fire-related incidents. Over the study period, 43,707 residential fire incidents were reported to FRNSW, and there were 2795 residential fire-related health service utilizations, of which 2380 were not reported. Using the capture-recapture method, the total number of residential fire incidents was estimated at 267,815 to 319,719, which is more than six times the official records. This study found that 15% of residential fire incidents that were identified in health administrative dataset were reported. The residential fire incidents that were not reported occurred mainly in socio-economically disadvantaged areas among males and adults

Comparison of causes, characteristics and consequences of residential fires in social and non-social housing dwellings in New South Wales, Australia

There are over 17,000 residential fire incidents in Australia annually, of which 6,500 occur in New South Wales (NSW). The number of state-provided accommodations for those on low incomes (social housing), is over 437,000 in Australia of which 34% are located in NSW. This study compared causes, characteristics and consequences of residential fires in social and non-social housing in NSW, Australia. This population-based study used linked fire brigade and health service data to identify those who experienced a residential fire incident from 2005 to 2014. Over the study period, 43,707 residential fires were reported, of which 5,073 (11.6%) occurred in social housing properties. Fires in social housing were more likely to occur in apartments (RR 1.85, 95%CI 1.75–1.96), caused by matches and lighters (RR 1.62, 95%CI 1.51–1.74) and smokers’ materials (RR 1.51, 95%CI 1.34 – 1.71). The risk of health service utilisation or hospital admission was 16% (RR 1.16, 95%CI 1.04–1.28) and 25% (RR 1.25, 95%CI 1.02–1.51) higher in social housing respectively. Those aged 25–65 were at 40% (RR 1.40, 95%CI 1.14 – 1.73) higher risk of using residential fire-related health services. Almost 88% of social housing properties did not have a functioning fire detector of any type, and 1.2% were equipped with sprinklers. Overall, the risk of residential fire incidents and associated injuries was higher for residents in social housing. Risk mitigation strategies beyond the current provision of smoke alarms are required to reduce the impact of residential fires in social and non-social housing

The impact of reduced fire risk cigarettes regulation on residential fire incidents, mortality and health service utilisation in New South Wales, Australia

Smoking materials are a common ignition source for residential fires. In Australia, reduced fire risk (RFR) cigarettes regulation was implemented in 2010. However, the impact of this regulation on residential fires is unknown. This paper examines the impact of the RFR cigarettes regulation on the severity and health outcomes of fire incidents in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, from 2005 to 2014. Fire department data from 2005 to 2014 were linked with ambulance, emergency department, hospital, outpatient burns clinic and mortality datasets for NSW. Negative binomial regression analysis was performed to assess the changes to fire incidents’ severity pre- and post-RFR cigarettes regulation. There was an 8% reduction in total fire incidents caused by smokers’ materials post-RFR cigarettes regulation. Smokers’ materials fire incidents that damaged both contents and structure of the building, where fire flames extended beyond the room of fire origin, with over AUD 1000 monetary damage loss, decreased by 18, 22 and 12%, respectively. RFR cigarettes regulation as a fire risk mitigation has positively impacted the residential fire incident outcomes. This provides support for regulation of fire risk protective measures and bestows some direction for other fire safety policies and regulations