A $7 million dollar annual funding boost for the NZ Government’s 'Family Start' home visiting programme was prompted by empirical research commissioned from AUT's Centre for Social Data Analytics (CSDA).
In 2016 it was announced that Family Start funding would be increased by $7.3 million per annum and the Family Start evaluation led by Professor Rhema Vaithianathan, co-director of the CSDA was referenced as evidence.
Minister of Social Development Anne Tolley said the decision was made to invest in "those who are in the most need of support by increasing the funding for Family Start, an evidence-based intensive home visitation programme with proven results".
"Family Start has been shown to increase mothers' use of community-based mental health services, child immunisation rates and participation in Early Childhood Education."
In addition to these outcomes, the research team led by Professor Rhema Vaithianathan found that babies in Family Start families had a lower risk of Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy.
A strong advocate for the potential of data to support better policy and decision-making, Professor Vaithianathan welcomed the Government's decision to invest an additional 25 percent annually in Family Start.
"This outcome demonstrates the value that academic research can add when Government is looking at where to invest taxpayer dollars for maximum impact."
"Family Start had been running for over 15 years but had never been evaluated for impact until now. Evidence like this research allows Government to make educated decisions about spending."
The Family Start research used rich linked administrative (de-identified) data for children born between 2004 and 2011 and researchers completed an impact evaluation using two separate quasi-experimental methods.
Other authors on the research were Professor Tim Maloney (CSDA, AUT), Moira Wilson (MSD) and Sarah Baird (George Washington University).
"This outcome demonstrates the value that academic research can add when Government is looking at where to invest taxpayer dollars for maximum impact."
Professor Vaithianathan has also lead evaluations of two other Ministry of Social Development programmes, (Social Workers in Schools and Teen Parent Units) with final results yet to be announced.