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Identifies key characteristics of indigenous sole-parent families relative to other such Australian families and analyzes the factors associated with their ongoing levels of economic disadvantage. Raises issues about the efficacy of job-skill-development programs. (Author/JOW)

Highlights the similarities and differences between the indigenous populations of Australia and the U.S. and their engagement in the national social security systems, which are under reform in both countries as of 2003. Change in the position of Indigenous Australians in relation to the Australian social security since 1960s; Background on the approach used by the U.S. welfare state; Lessons, insights and challenges raised for welfare reform for Indigenous Australians suggested by the comparison.

This paper reports on the results of the first year of a four-year study of the relationship between indigenous' people and the welfare system in two communities: Kuranda in North Queensland and Yuendumu in Central Australia. The work has been conducted by a group of researchers at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University and partially funded by the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services. The broad objective of the research has been to document the nature and extent of the relationship between indigenous people and the welfare system and to draw out the implications for family welfare policy and for the delivery of welfare services. A fuller discussion of the methodology and results is available in the monograph "Indigenous Families and the Welfare System: Two Community Case Studies" edited by Diane Smith.

The paper presents an analysis of the economic status of indigenous families relative to other Australian families. An innovative combination of economic analysis of current census data and ethnographic research is used in the paper, and reveals that indigenous families are experiencing substantial and multiple forms of economic burden in comparison to other Australian families, and display significantly different characteristics. They are more likely to be sole parent families and have on average, a larger number of children and larger households. The adults are younger, have lower levels of education and are less likely to be in employment than other Australians. The poor economic position of indigenous sole parents is highlighted, and the economic role of the aged, matrifocal families, young adults and children are consisdered. The paper concludes by examining the important policy and program implications raised by the research, and argues the need for an increased focus on the particular socio-economic and locational circumstances of indigenous families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than one in four parents in the United States of America (USA) have low health literacy, which is associated with reduced health equity and negatively impacts child health outcomes. Early intervention (EI) programs are optimally placed to build the health literacy capacity of caregivers, which could improve health equity. The health literacy of interdisciplinary EI providers has not previously been measured. This study used the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) with EI providers ( n = 10) to investigate evidence based on response (cognitive) processes. Narratives from cognitive interviews gave reasons for HLQ score choices, and concordance and discordance between HLQ item intent descriptions and narrative data were assessed using thematic analysis. Results found scales with highest concordance for Scales 3, 6, and 9 (each 96%, n = 24). Concordance was lowest on Scale 5 (88%, n = 22), although still strong with only 12% discordance. Three themes reflecting discordance were identified: (1) Differences between Australian and USA culture/health systems; (2) Healthcare provider perspective; and (3) Participants with no health problems to manage. Results show strong concordance between EI providers' narrative responses and item intents. Study results contribute validity evidence for the use of HLQ data to inform interventions that build health literacy capacity of EI providers to then empower and build the health literacy of EI parents.