Contents
- Part 1 Executive Summary
- Part 2 Performance reporting
- Part 3 Corporate governance and accountability
- Part 4 Appendices
- Part 5 Financial Management
Annual Report 2008–2009
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Annual Report 2008–2009
Annual Report 2008–2009 » Chapter 8: Outcome 3 »Output Group 3.1
This section outlines, by output group, how the Department performed against the key performance indicators set out in the 2008–09 Portfolio Budget Statements and related Budget documents. Where relevant, achievement against key performance indicators is summarised in tables that provide estimated and actual results for targets set out in the FaHCSIA 2008–09 Portfolio Budget Statements.
Output Group 3.1 contributes to Outcome 3 by promoting healthy family relationships and helping children have the best possible start to life.
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The Baby Bonus recognises the extra costs associated with the birth or adoption of a child, including the loss of income while on unpaid maternity leave. For births or adoptions occurring before 1 January 2009, Baby Bonus was not income tested, and was generally paid as a lump sum of $5,000.
From 1 January 2009, the Baby Bonus has been income tested and paid in 13 fortnightly instalments. The payment has also been extended to parents who adopt a child up to the age of 16 years (previously two years).
| Number of children in respect of whom Baby Bonus is paid | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 285,000 | The variance is –2,000. The variance reflects a lower demand for the program than estimated. |
| Actual | 283,000 | |
| Number of families granted Baby Bonus | ||
| Estimate | 281,000 | The variance is –3,000. The variance reflects a lower demand for the program than estimated. |
| Actual | 278,000 | |
| Number of adopted children in respect of whom Baby Bonus is paid | ||
| Estimate | 330 | The variance is –80. The variance reflects a lower demand for the program than estimated. |
| Actual | 250 | |
The Double Orphan Pension provides non-means-tested financial assistance to guardians or approved care organisations to help meet the costs of caring for children who are double orphans. A double orphan is a child whose parents or adoptive parents have died, or who has one parent deceased and whose other parent is not available for their child for reasons such as the parent being in prison for at least 10 years or because their whereabouts are unknown.
| Number of children in respect of whom Double Orphan Pension is paid | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 1,900 children | The variance is +100. The actual result was similar to the estimate. |
| Actual | 2,000 children | |
| Number of families receiving Double Orphan Pension | ||
| Estimate | 1,400 families | No variance. |
| Actual | 1,400 families | |
The Government provides funding to support all Australian families to have healthy, resilient relationships through times of family change and stress. Services funded under the Family Relationships appropriation provide support such as counselling, education and skills acquisition, information, referral and assessment appropriate to the needs of individual families. These services incorporate special circumstances programs such as drought counselling. Sub-programs include the Family Relationships Services program (FRSP), National Illicit Drugs Strategy (NIDS), Family Violence Partnership Program (FVPP), and Family Violence Regional Activities Program (FVRAP).
| Percentage of FRSP clients recording improvement in their presenting relationships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 80% | The variance is +18.45%. The actual result is similar to the 2007–08 result (98%). |
| Actual | 98.45% | |
| Percentage of FRSP clients from priority identified groups—Indigenous/CALD/children/men | ||
| Estimate | Indigenous: 5% CALD: 20% Children: 20% Men: 45% |
The variance for registered Indigenous clients was –1.3%. The variance for registered CALD clients was –11.8% lower than target. The variance for registered children was –10%. The variance for registered clients attending services for men was +1.8%. |
| Actual | Indigenous: 3.7% CALD: 8.2% Children: 10% Men: 46.8% |
|
| Percentage of service providers (FRSP/NIDS) who fully meet accreditation requirements or relevant industry standards for service management and governance | ||
| Estimate | 90% | No variance. |
| Actual | 90% | |
| Number of clients assisted per year—early intervention services (FRSP/NIDS) | ||
| Estimate | 180,000 | The variance is –7198. The figure for EIS (early intervention services) includes client numbers for EIS and 50% of the counselling clients (the others are reported by Attorney-General's Department). (Data for 2008–09 as at 30 July 2009.) The figure for the NIDS program is a full-year estimate based on the data available for the first 6 months of the financial year. The full-year data is not yet available due to the different reporting methods of providers. |
| Actual | 157,643 (EIS) 15,159 (NIDS) |
|
| Number of Indigenous communities assisted per year through funding for Indigenous Family Violence projects | ||
| Estimate | 40 | No variance. In 2008–09, 79 projects were funded through the family violence programs in at least 40 Indigenous communities. |
| Actual | 40 | |
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Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is designed to help families with the cost of raising dependent children. FTB consists of two parts—Part A and Part B. Part A is paid for each child and is assessed on the combined income of a family. Part B provides extra help for those families with one main income of $150,000 or less a year (including single parents).
| Number of instalment recipients of FTB Part A maximum rate (with and without income support), broken rate, base rate, and below base rate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | Eligible customers will be paid: FTB Part A maximum rate – With income support: 414,000 families – Without income support: 191,000 families – Broken rate: 502,000 families – Base rate: 503,000 families – Below base rate: 94,000 families |
The variances are –6,000 for FTB Part A maximum rate with income support, +3,000 for maximum rate without income support, +37,000 for broken rate customers, +16,000 for base rate customers and +19, 000 for below base rate customers. These variations are consistent with the economic downturn, which resulted in existing customers having lower income estimates and new customers, who were previously ineligible due to higher incomes, coming on to the payment. Economic stimulus measures introduced by the Government also resulted in customers migrating from lump-sum payments to fortnightly instalments so they could receive their stimulus payments earlier. |
| Actual | Eligible customers will be paid: FTB Part A maximum rate – With income support: 408,000 families – Without income support: 194,000 families – Broken rate: 539,000 families – Base rate: 519,000 families – Below base rate: 113,000 families |
|
| FTB Part A with Rent Assistance, Multiple Birth Allowance, and Large Family Supplement | ||
| Estimate | FTB Part A with RA: 374,000 families FTB Part A with Multiple Birth Allowance: 950 families FTB Part A with Large Family Supplement: 366,000 families |
The variances are +24,000 FTB Part A Rent Assistance recipients, no variance for FTB Part A Multiple Birth Allowance recipients and +1,000 for Large Family Supplement recipients. The increase in the number of FTB Part A families with Rent Assistance may be attributable to the economic downturn. |
| Actual | FTB Part A with RA: 398,000 families FTB Part A with Multiple Birth Allowance: 950 families FTB Part A with Large Family Supplement: 367,000 families |
|
| Number of instalment recipients of FTB Part B maximum rate for sole parents and couples and broken rate for couples | ||
| Estimate | FTB Part B maximum rate—sole parents: 567,000 families FTB Part B maximum rate—couples: 313,000 families FTB Part B broken rate—couples: 416,000 families |
The variances are +25,000, +12,000 and +33,000 for FTB Part B sole parents, couples and broken rate recipients respectively. These variances are consistent with lower customer income estimates due to the economic downturn. |
| Actual | FTB Part B maximum rate—sole parents: 592,000 families FTB Part B maximum rate—couples: 325,000 families FTB Part B broken rate—couples: 449,000 families |
|
| Number of families entitled to Family Tax Benefit (FTB) who claim and receive their entitlement within the three-year period allowed for their claim | ||
| Estimate | Approximately 2.2 million families | The variance is –100,000. An improved methodology enabled a better count of families entitled to payment on reconciliation. |
| Actual | 2.1 million families | |
| Proportion of customers obtaining a debt following reconciliation | ||
| Estimate | Less than 8% | Data is not yet available to report on the outcomes for 2008–09. The actual relates to the 2006–07 entitlement year which is the most recent year for which the three year claim period has elapsed. |
| Actual | 8% | |
| Control of incorrect payment and fraud—accuracy of administered outlays (total dollars correctly paid) as measured by the Random Sample Survey | ||
| Estimate | Accuracy of administered outlays is greater than or equal to 95% | The estimate is the agreed benchmark between FaHCSIA and Centrelink. The actual figure is the estimated accuracy of administered outlays derived from Random Sample Survey data. |
| Actual | 98.7% | |
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Maternity Immunisation Allowance (MIA) is a payment designed to ensure that Australian-born children are fully immunised before commencing school and overseas adopted children under the age of 16 years catch up with the immunisations recommended for all Australian children. From 1 January 2009, MIA has generally been paid in two separate amounts between 18–24 months and 4–5 years, instead of in one lump sum. This is designed to boost immunisation rates as children reach school age.
| Number of children in respect of whom Maternity Immunisation Allowance is paid | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 275,000 children | No variance. The total differs from the sum of the components due to rounding. |
| Actual | First instalment: 134,000 children Second instalment: 140,000 children Total: 275,000 children |
|
| Number of families receiving Maternity Immunisation Allowance | ||
| Estimate | 268,000 families | The variance is +1,000 The actual result is similar to the estimate. The total differs from the sum of the components due to rounding. |
| Actual | First instalment: 132,000 families Second instalment: 138,000 families Total—269,000 |
|
In 2008–09 the Department worked on the development of the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children to address the rate of notifications and substantiations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect of Australia's children.
| The Government, state and territory governments and community sectors agree shape of framework | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | The National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children is developed and agreed | No variance. |
| Actual | The National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children was developed, and was agreed by the Council of Australian Governments on 30 April 2009 | |
| The Government, state and territory governments and community sectors work together to commence implementation | ||
| Estimate | Implementation of the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children commenced | No variance. |
| Actual | Implementation of the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children has commenced | |
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The Parenting program monitors the responsiveness of child and parent support services and their contribution to improving parenting knowledge and skills.
| Percentage of clients participating in FaHCSIA-funded child/parent support services that are satisfied that the service they received met their needs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 80% | No variance. |
| Actual | 80% | |
| Percentage of clients participating in FaHCSIA-funded child/parent support services with increased knowledge and skills needed to improve their circumstances | ||
| Estimate | 70% | No variance. |
| Actual | 70% | |
| Number of Indigenous communities directly assisted per year | ||
| Estimate | 75 | The variance is –14. |
| Actual | 612 | |
| Percentage of communities that met program-specific goals that communities set when they commenced receiving assistance | ||
| Estimate | 100% | The variance is –11%. This estimate was based on the Communities for Children Program. Most of the Communities for Children services met all of the communities' expectations with a small minority of services meeting many but not all of the expectations. |
| Actual | 89% | |
| Percentage of clients satisfied that national resources met their needs | ||
| Estimate | 70% | The variance is +24.6%. Satisfaction of services exceeded targets. The estimate and actual were based on online surveys for the Raising Children website, which asked about usefulness, understandability, relevance, access and confidence. |
| Actual | 94.6% | |
| Percentage of service providers with work plans that link identified needs to evidence-based children and parenting support strategies | ||
| Estimate | 100% | No variance. The estimate and actual were based on the Communities for Children program. |
| Actual | 100% | |
| Number of service sites funded by FaHCSIA implementing FaHCSIA-funded child/parent support activities | ||
| Estimate | 8,360 | The variance is +44. The vast majority of these services are community playgroups which are driven by community demand. The slight variance is due to an increase in demand. |
| Actual | 8,404 | |
Next: Output Group 3.2
Previous: Outcome 3