Survey invitations

Why are you contacting me? 

We are contacting you because we noticed that you haven’t participated in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children in a while. Your input has been greatly missed and we’d like to give to you the opportunity to re-join the study. 

The Reconnect survey is your invitation to return to the Study and join us for the next phase of Growing Up in Australia. 

Why do you still want me to complete a survey now that I’m an adult / my child is an adult? 

The Growing Up in Australia study has been running continuously since 2003/2004. With your help, we have built one of the largest data sets on life course development in Australia!  

Now that all participants are adults, researchers can use Study findings to explore how childhood circumstances and events effect people’s outcomes later in life! Your input is just as important now as it always has been. 

I don’t want to be involved, what should I do? 

Being in Growing Up in Australia gives you a chance to be part of a unique Study that helps develop better services for young people and their families in Australia. However, participation in the Growing Up in Australia study is voluntary, and participants may choose not to take part in some aspects of the Study or withdraw their participation at any time.  

You can withdraw from the Study by entering your unique Reconnect survey link, answering ‘No’ to the first question, and confirming that you would like to be removed from the Study.  

Alternatively, you can call our friendly team on 1800 005 508 between 9am and 5pm AEST Monday–Sunday, or email us at: info@growingupinaustralia.gov.au

Why did I receive an invitation to complete my Reconnect Survey after I requested Roy Morgan remove my information? 

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the receipt of your Reconnect survey invitation. Your invitation letter was prepared late in September 2024, which may have been before we received notice that you did not want Roy Morgan to hold your information. Please be assured that you will be withdrawn from the Study and should not receive any further correspondence from the Growing Up in Australia Study. If you're contacted by the Study in the future or you have any concerns about your withdrawal, please call us on 1800 005 508 between 9am and 5pm AEST Monday–Sunday, or email us at:  info@growingupinaustralia.gov.au

The survey  

What is the Reconnect Survey? 

The Reconnect survey is a short, online survey designed to reconnect participants who have not completed a recent survey with the Growing Up in Australia Study. Information on how to access your survey is available here.  

What information will the Reconnect survey collect?   

If you are a young adult participant (aged 20-26), the Reconnect survey will ask about: 

• your current contact details,  
• your gender and employment status, 
• your health and feelings, 
• your concerns over social, economic and environmental issues,  
• your previous experiences participating in the Growing Up in Australia Study,  
• your ideas for the future of the Study, and 
• an alternate contact for your file. 

The young adult survey takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Young adult participants will receive a $50 e-gift card upon completion of their Reconnect survey. 

If you are a parent or guardian of a young adult participant, the Reconnect survey will ask about: 

• your current contact details,  
• your gender and employment status, and 
• your ideas for the future of the Growing Up in Australia Study.  

The parent/guardian survey will take around 5 minutes to complete. Parents or guardians of young adult participants will receive a $20 e-gift card upon completion of their Reconnect survey. 

Why is there no ‘Back’ button on my survey? 

There is no ‘back button’ within the survey to protect your privacy. In the unlikely event that someone tries to access your survey link before you submit it, they will not be able to see any of your previous responses.  

Can I skip questions I don’t want to answer? 

Some questions require a response, however, you can skip or not answer some questions you do not want to respond to.  

Future participation  

I don’t have time to complete my reconnect survey at the moment, but I don’t mind being contacted by the Study in the future, what should I do? 

Unlike other Growing Up in Australia surveys, the Reconnect survey can be completed in only 10-15 minutes for young adult participants, and 5 minutes for parent/guardian participants. On completion of your Reconnect survey, you will receive an instant e-gift card to thank you for your time.  

If you are happy to be contacted by the Study in the future, but do not have time to complete this survey, please call us on1800 005 508 between 9 am and 5 pm AEST Monday–Sunday to inform us of your request and update your contact information. You can also email the Study at info@growingupinaustralia.gov.au or update your contact details online by visiting this page.  

If I re-consent to being involved in the Study, what do the next steps look like?  

After you complete your Reconnect survey, we will invite you to take part in the next round of the Growing Up in Australia Study. We may be in touch to notify you when it is time for this. We may also contact you with newsletters and updates from the Study. You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time.  

How will I be interviewed in the future?  

For young adults, this will involve an online survey, plus a face-to-face survey with one of our trained interviewers. Your face-to face survey can be conducted at your home or at another location you are comfortable with (for example, a library or café). We understand that life gets busy and try to offer you as much flexibility as possible within our interview process.  

For parents or guardians, you may be asked to complete a telephone survey. 

Gift cards

For information on where and how you can redeem your e-gift card, please click here.  

I can’t receive my gift card via email, what should I do? 

Please call us on 1800 005 508 between 9am and 5pm AEST Monday–Sunday and our friendly team can arrange for a physical gift card to be sent to your residential address.  

I clicked into my survey but did not consent to being involved in the study, do I still receive an e-gift card?  

Unfortunately, no, you can only receive your e-gift card after you have completed the questions in the survey.  

Privacy concerns 

For more Reconnect survey privacy information, please click here.  

I haven’t heard from the Study in years, how do I know this survey is legitimate?  

If you are unsure about anything, please call our friendly team on 1800 005 508 between 9am and 5pm AEST Monday – Sunday, or email us at:  info@growingupinaustralia.gov.au so we can discuss any of your concerns.