Families on the margins: strategies for building resilience
Anita Joinking
Mission Australia
Contact Email:   FaheyMmission.com.au

The health and welfare of children is embedded in the health and welfare of their families and their communities. Thus the fact that isolation is an increasing phenomenon for families in Australian society is of concern in the context of childhood and social inclusion.

Isolation means exclusion from mainstream society or minimal interaction with others in the community. Isolation exacerbates social disadvantage and creates particular difficulties for Australian families raising children in circumstances where they have little access to the necessary social supports that help maintain broader connections with the community. The mobility of Australian families is also increasing, with approximately 370,000 people moving interstate each year (ABS 2000a). When hard times hit, many families are left vulnerable and without connections to support. Children are particularly susceptible to the impacts of isolation and exclusion.

This paper is based on two research projects conducted by Mission Australia over the past 18 months, resulting in the Snapshot reports: ‘Families on the Margins’ and ‘Building Resilient Families’. Both federal and state governments have shown commitment to strengthening families through a number of projects, and federal government also identified the need to build strength in families as a critical element in the context of broader welfare reform. At a macro level, these strategies are absolutely correct in their focus but the real question is whether at a micro level they are reaching those in need. Mission Australia’s research identifies a number of family types which are more likely to be socially, economically and geographically isolated. The research focuses mainly on strategies for building resilience in families; and identifies types of support services (including innovative early intervention services and community capacity building services) needed to make a meaningful difference to ensure social inclusion for children.

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