Author Description

This paper uses integrated administrative data from New Zealand to identify and describe the characteristics of children who are at higher risk of poor long-term outcomes, including low school attainment, long-term benefit receipt, and contact with the justice system. An earlier study by the authors found that a small number of characteristics in this data set were correlated with poorer outcomes as young adults, and a second study was undertaken to identify youth aged 15-24 who were at greater risk of experiencing poorer long-term outcomes when aged 25-34. This paper provides new analyses of the data for children aged 0-5 and 6-14 years old, with two or more of the following risk factors: substantiated history of abuse or neglect, the majority of their lifetime supported by benefits, a parent who has received a community or custodial sentence, or having a mother who has no formal qualifications. The study found that the number and type of indicators present were also correlated with a range of other characteristics, including having an unmarried mother at birth, injury-related hospitalization, frequent change of address, and less participation in early childhood education.