Conceptions of children’s well-being: dominant themes and their implications for the ‘social inclusion’ of children
Toby Fattore
NSW Commission for Children and Young People
Contact Email:   Toby.Fattorekids.nsw.gov.au

The paper argues that current work on children's well-being remains problematic in terms of its stated aims because it defines well-being negatively or institutionally. Three dominant perspectives will be examined, those that define well-being as children successfully attaining developmental milestones; those that define well-being as children lacking developmental health problems; and those that define well-being as children being successful in child institutions.

Some of the tangible policy implications of these approaches will be examined. On the one hand it will be argued that some of the strengths of these approaches are that child outcomes can be standardised and that outcomes can draw upon 'taken for granted' assumptions of the good life, or minimal conditions necessary for basic existence. On the other hand it will be argued that very few indicators relate to the social life of children outside of formal institutions and that policy agendas are dominated by the expertise of professionals rather than the understandings of children themselves.

Criteria for a tentative but complementary framework for children's well-being research will be proposed. This includes mediating between quality of life of children now, and children as future adults; examining a continuum of well-being; including both institutional and non-institutional activities of children; and one that is driven by children and young people's understandings of well-being.

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