Growing Up in New Zealand

About

Growing Up in New Zealand is a University of Auckland-led longitudinal study tracking the development of approximately 7,000 NZ children from before birth.

Story

Growing Up in New Zealand is a longitudinal study tracking the development of approximately 7,000 New Zealand children from before birth until they are young adults.
The study has collected detailed multidisciplinary information about children’s early development from before they were born, and reflects the diversity of today’s pre-school children: one in four children in the cohort identify as Maori, one in five as Pacific Islander, one in six as Asian and two out of three as European. Nearly half the children identify with more than one ethnic group.

Growing Up in New Zealand is designed to provide unique information about what shapes children’s early development in contemporary New Zealand and how interventions might be targeted at the earliest opportunity to give every child the best start in life. A key aim of the study is to provide evidence to inform policy development, for example whether existing government policies are reaching the families they were designed for and, if so, what effect they are having. This can inform the development of new strategies better targeted to address entrenched problems.

Early information from Growing Up in New Zealand provides insight into areas like vulnerable children, housing, breastfeeding/early solids, immunisation, languages, early childhood education, interaction with health and other key services, paid parental leave and maternal return to the workforce.

Growing Up in New Zealand is University of Auckland-led research and funded by multiple government agencies. The government contract for the study is managed by the Families Commission.