About CAFCA

As part of the Stronger Familes and Communities Strategy the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has contracted the Australian Institute of Family Studies to operate the Communities and Families Clearinghouse Australia (CAFCA). CAFCA will provide an information and support role for the 2004-2009 Stronger Families and Communties Strategy similar to that provided by the Stronger Families Learning Exchange for the 2000-2004 Strategy.

Aim

CAFCA aims to improve access to current information and resources to inform policy, practice and research in the fields of early intervention and childhood development.

Role

CAFCA provides information and advice to projects funded under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy (SFCS) and to policy makers, researchers and practitioners in the fields of early intervention and childhood development. The Clearinghouse has an emphasis on young families, early learning and care, support for families and parents, child friendly communities and family and children's services working effectively.

CAFCA also has a role in the evaluation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. The Australian Institute of Family Studies is a partner in the consortium contracted to evaluate the SFCS 2004-2009.

Functions

• Library
  The Clearinghouse brings together national and international research, as well as policy and practice initiatives.
• Practice Profiles
  The Clearinghouse is seeking to establish a national collection of 'promising practice' initiatives and/or approaches that aim to improve our understanding of early intervention and childhood development. Promising Practice Profiles will be developed as part of the national evaluation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy 2004-2009. The practice profiles will be selected from initiatives funded under the Strategy and will be available via the CAFCA website.
• Publications
  Information from the Clearinghouse is disseminated to a national network through paper and electronic publications. Past publications are available electronically and you are invited to join the mailing list.
• Advisory Services
  A help desk service is provided for clients who wish to access information from the library collection and databases.
• Networking/Outreach
  Staff participate in workshops, conferences and related activities. Practitioners, policy makers and researchers are invited to join the email discussion list. CAFCA is also planning to provide a series of workshops designed to translate policy for practitioners.
• Research
  Research conduced by CAFCA is primarily practice based and aims to inform policymakers and practitioners on what works in the field.

Staff

Sarah Wise is a Principal Research Fellow at the Australian Institute of Family Studies and Manager of the Communities and Families Clearinghouse Australia (CAFCA).

Dr Ben Edwards is a Research Fellow at the Australian Institute of Family Studies and has expertise that includes neighbourhood influences on children's development. Ben is working on the analysis of the Stronger Families in Australia (SFIA) study data as part of the National Evaluation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy.

Grace Soriano is a Senior Research Officer with CAFCA. She is currently working on the National Evaluation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy, including project work on the Stronger Families in Australia study , the development and implementation of the Themed Studies which will explore particular topics in-depth across all three Stronger Families and Communities Strategy initiatives and developing the Promising Practice Profiles.

Claire Berlyn is a Research Officer with the Communities and Families Clearinghouse of Australia and is contributing to the National Evaluation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy developing and implementing a theme study on the participation of fathers in the Strategy.

Haley Clark is a Research Officer with Communities and Families Clearinghouse of Australia and is assisting with the development of the Promising Practice Profiles and working on the Stronger Families in Australia (SFIA) study.

Mark Pimperl is a Web Officer at the Australian Institute of Family Studies.