Footprints in time - the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children : key summary report from wave 1

The 'Footprints in time' longitudinal study investigates how a child's early years affect their development, focusing specifically on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia. Wave 1 commenced in December 2007, with two cohorts: 960 babies, aged 6 to 18 months old, and 727 children, aged 3 to 4 years old. Interviews were conducted with parents and carers in 2008 and 2009, from urban, rural and remote areas, on topics including household size, housing, parent income source, financial stress, cultural identification, maternal health, diet, learning and language development, activities, early education, parental warmth, parental social support networks and help seeking, and major life events. This report provides an overview of the study methodology and findings from Wave 1.