The Linked Data and Social Policy Team received a grant from the Ian Potter Foundation and the Minderoo Foundation to establish the “West Australian Child Development Atlas”.
We know that place, location, and geography can all influence health, wellbeing, and disease, and thus are important factors in policy development and service planning. Geographically-sensitive policy acknowledges the interconnections between the provision of health services, and the spatial patterns of health risk and outcome. Revealing these spatial patterns through data visualisation methods can inform our understanding of how area-level characteristics (e.g., school attendance rates, crime, health risks) may be linked to the arrangement of services in an area. For instance, geographical mapping of child development indicators may reveal areas of high need that are not being adequately served by the services available in those areas. Geographically-sensitive policy may encompass aspects including the role of local planning, transportation, food, and health services for supporting the developmental health of the population. Spatial data visualisation tools can support these efforts through facilitating monitoring of trends and targeting of interventions and health promotion initiatives to areas of greatest need.
This project will geographically map aggregated area-level data on child health, social, learning, and development indicators, overlaid by locations and catchment areas of child- and family-oriented services and programs across the State. The Western Australian Child Development Atlas will be an online, interactive mapping tool that will enable the profiling of geographic areas within the State, to inform the planning and development of policies, services, and programs aimed at improving the outcomes of Western Australian children. Translation of findings from this mapping project will primarily be aimed at a government agency level, with significant benefits expected to be realized for the Western Australian community.