Select Committee on Intergenerational Welfare Dependence

Terms of reference

To inquire into and report on matters relating to welfare dependence of families and outcomes for children, and in conducting the inquiry, the committee:
    a. examine the reasons for welfare dependence, with particular focus on why some families require welfare assistance for short periods only and why others become ‘trapped’ in the system;
    b. consider:

     i. the factors preventing parents from gaining employment;
    ii. the impact of intergenerational unemployment on children;
    iii. the important role of parents as ‘first teachers’;
    iv. a multi-generational approach which assists parents and their children together;
    v. the impact, if any, of welfare in creating disadvantage; and
    vi. the impact of economic development in different locations and geography;

    c. recommend options for:

     i. breaking cycles of disadvantage;
    ii. measuring the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions;
    iii. the improvement of the financial capacity and security of families; and
    iv. better coordinating services between tiers of government to support families; and

    d. consider any other related matter.