Research

Our research activities are designed to contribute to improving services and outcomes for vulnerable families and children.

We’ve worked with key stakeholders and agencies to develop a Research Agenda 2019-22 (PDF, 694KB) to inform child protection policy and practice. We encourage other organisations to consider the importance of these research areas.

The Research Agenda is divided into 6 key areas:

• Understanding the importance of the early years
• Recognising the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities
• Supporting young people vulnerable to disengaging with education
• Creating opportunities for young people leaving care
• Improving youth mental health
• Leading in changing times

Research summaries

We aim to make research more accessible to policy makers, practitioners and other interested stakeholders.

Our research summaries provide a short, concise summary of relevant research and explore the implications of the research findings for policy and practice.

Research summaries can be found in the Search.

If you’d like to contribute to our growing list of research summaries, contact: research@qfcc.qld.gov.au

The 6 key areas of our Research Agenda

Strategic area 1: Understanding the importance of the early years

• Supporting vulnerable families through the early years
• The impact of alcohol and other drugs on the developing child
• Improving infant mental health
• Providing enriching environments for the developing brain
• Reducing preventable child deaths

Strategic area 2: Recognising the strengths of Indigenous families and communities

• Families are first in growing healthy kids
• Families are first educators
• Dads are first male role models
• Families are first carers of country
• Families are first in supporting and celebrating kids’ success
• Understanding the importance of culture

Strategic area 3: Supporting young people vulnerable to disengaging with education

• Children invisible to the education system
• Exploring ways of tracking children through their schooling
• Children, including very young children, suspended or excluded
• Understanding which children are vulnerable to disengaging from education
• Disengagement from school and links to offending

Strategic area 4: Creating opportunities for young people leaving care

• Exploring place-based solutions to reduce homelessness for young people leaving care
• Improving housing outcomes through enhancing communication and planning
• Supporting the education and training opportunities for young people leaving care

Strategic area 5: Improving youth mental health

• Supporting young people facing mental health challenges
• Social media, gaming addiction, online grooming and mental health
• Trend data on youth suicide in Queensland

Strategic area 6: Leading in changing times

• Understanding the effects of collective and collaborative leadership
• The increasing role of technology and artificial intelligence in providing social services
• Considering the safety and wellbeing of their children when providing services to vulnerable adults
• Understanding vulnerability in the context of the child protection system