Family

The Children and Young People in Tasmania (CAYPIT) resource is designed to facilitate statistics, qualitative research and other information to a cross section of audiences, including young people, policy makers, program planners and service providers at a state, regional and local level.

At A Glance – Family

For statistical purposes the Australian Bureau of Statistics defines the household family as 'two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household. The basis of a family is formed by identifying the presence of a couple relationship, lone parent-child relationship or other blood relationship. Some households will, therefore, contain more than one family.' [1]

In 2006, there were 128,660 household families recorded in Tasmania. Couples without children accounted for 40.5 per cent (Australia 37.2 per cent) of families, couples with children represented 41.4 per cent and one parent families made up 16.7 per cent (Australia 15.8 per cent). Most families with children, regardless of whether they were couple families or one parent families, had children aged under 15 years. [2]

In 2003, 28.2 per cent of children aged zero to 17 years in Tasmania had face-to-face contact at least once a week with a natural parent living elsewhere, 17.5 per cent had face-to-face contact at least once a fortnight, and 15.8 per cent had face-to-face contact at least once every one to three months. Almost a quarter (23.3 per cent) of all children aged zero to 17 years with a natural parent living elsewhere had face-to-face contact less than once a year. [3] Nearly half (49.4 per cent) of all children with a natural parent living elsewhere did not stay with that parent overnight. [4]

In 2006-07, there were 26 adoptions in Tasmania (5.3 per 100,000, and 568 nationally). [5]

In 2005, the rate of births in Tasmania to young mothers aged 15-19 years was 26.6 in 1000 births, which is higher than the national average of 16 births per 1000. [6]

Non-household families may also be defined as 'two or more people related by blood, marriage (including step-relations), adoption or fostering and who may or may not live together.’ [7]

ABS Statistics - 4102.0 - Tasmania - Family and community - Australian Social Trends - ABS, 2007