Key national indicators of children's health, development and wellbeing

Monitoring the progress of Australia's children is central to the National Agenda for Early Childhood (Department of Family and Community Services, 2004). The AIHW has been monitoring the health, development and wellbeing of Australia's children since 1996 with funding from the Department of Health and Ageing. To date the Institute has produced four comprehensive national reports in this area - Australia's Children (published in 1998 and 2002) and Australia's Young People (published in 1999 and 2003). In keeping in line with a new emphasis on a whole of government cross-sectoral approach to childhood policy, the AIHW has broadened its reporting framework in this area to encompass a wider set on influences on childhood development. This work has been guided by an Advisory Committee comprising key experts and jurisdictional representatives, the Australian Government Taskforce on Child Development, and the Australian Council for Children and Parenting. This bulletin provides an overview of the key indicators to be published in A Picture of Australia's Children 2005, as part of a national program of indicator development, data collection and regular reporting.