Footprints in Time—the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) would never have been possible without the support and trust of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families who opened their doors to the researchers and generously gave their time to talk openly about their lives. Our gratitude goes to them, and to the leaders and Elders of their communities who are active guardians of their people’s wellbeing.
A special thanks goes to the LSIC Steering Committee and the Subcommittee members, past and present, who, under the committed leadership of the chair Professor Mick Dodson AM, actively participated in grappling with the many challenges the study had to face in its development. Many of the members gave their time freely outside of committee meetings to provide expert advice to assist in the study’s development.
Gratitude also goes to the many individuals and organisations, both government and non-government, who provided advice throughout the process. These include:
- Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW
- Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee
- Aboriginal Hostels Limited
- Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Australian Council for Educational Research
- Australian Education Union
- Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- Central Australian Human Research Ethics Committee
- Centrelink
- Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health
- Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
- Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
- Department of Health and Ageing
- Department of Health and Ageing’s Departmental Ethics Committee
- Good Beginnings Australia
- Human Research Ethics Committee: NT Department of Health & Community Services
- Indigenous Coordination Centres
- Kimberley Aboriginal Health Planning Forum Research Sub-Committee
- Macquarie University
- Menzies School of Health Research
- Ms Adele Cox, Consultant
- Ms Penny Tripcony, Consultant
- Dr Margo Weir, Early Childhood and Indigenous Consultant
- Mr Andrew Whitecross, FaHCSIA
- National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services
- Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
- Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council
- Roy Morgan Research
- Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-Operative
- Secretariat of the National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care
- Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
- Torres Strait Regional Authority
- Western Australian Aboriginal Health Information and Ethics Committee
We are also grateful to reviewers who provided comments on this report. The Footprints in Time team are particularly grateful to Annemarie Nicol and Paula Mance (FaHCSIA, Research Projects Section) who coordinated, wrote and re-wrote much of this report.
Finally, thanks go to all the staff at the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) who worked on the study throughout its development and implementation, both in National Office and in the field. Many regularly gave up their personal time and worked long hours to ensure the study’s success.
The study brings together people committed to making a positive difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.