Australian Institute of Family Studies

The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is the Australian Government's independent family research body and advisor on family wellbeing. Our purpose is to create and communicate knowledge to accelerate positive outcomes for families. We undertake and publish primary research into a broad range of issues affecting Australian families. We also manage a number of major, large-scale longitudinal studies which track participants' lives through time at different ages and stages. We also: - provide advice on the design and implementation of policies and services; - evaluate policies and programs (i.e. to discover what works for families); and - build the capability of policy and service-delivery agencies to design and deliver evidence-informed services for children, families and communities. Our research increases understanding of the factors that help or hinder the wellbeing of Australia's families. We are a statutory authority of the Australian Government, established under the Family Law Act of 1975. The Institute operates within the portfolio of the Department of Social Services (DSS), and is responsible to the Minister for Social Services. The AIFS' Director governs the operations of the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC), established under the Gambling Measures Act 2012.