Earlier this month the Rudd Government published data from the 2006 Australian Government Census of Child Care Services on the Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care website.
The Census has been conducted regularly since 1986 and is the most comprehensive data available on Australian Government approved and supported child care services.
The Census provides details of child care users, staff and carers and operational details of child care services and is used extensively for monitoring growth in the sector and assisting in policy formulation and planning.
Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Child Care, Maxine McKew said the increasing reliance of working families on child care indicated the need to ensure accessibility, quality, greater transparency and affordability.
"The Rudd Government understand that a child’s early years are critically important to their long-term development, health and well-being," said Ms McKew.
"The Government is investing $2.4 billion over five years in early childhood to ensure working Australian families can access quality, affordable child care and children get the best possible start to life."
The Government is investing $114.5 million over the next four years to establish 38 child care centres, including six autism-specific centres. This measure is the first phase of the Government’s commitment to establish 260 child care centres.
The Rudd Government is investing $1.6 billion over four years to help working families meet higher costs of living by increasing the Child Care Tax Rebate (CCTR) from 30 to 50 per cent of out of pocket costs and by paying the rebate quarterly.
The Government is investing $22.2 million over four years to develop rigorous new quality national standards for child care and preschool.
Over the next five years, the Rudd Government will invest $533.5 million to provide all Australian children, including Indigenous children living in remote communities, with access to affordable early learning programs delivered by a qualified teacher for 15 hours a week, 40 weeks a year in the year before formal schooling.
Other initiatives include:
- $126.6 million for a National Early Years Workforce Strategy;
- $32.5 million over five years to roll out the Home Interaction Program to 50 disadvantaged communities across Australia;
- $23.9 million over four years to extend the Jobs, Education and Training Child Care Fee Assistance to cover two years of approved study;
- $20.2 million (including existing funding of $2.8 million) over five years to roll out the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) nationally; and
- $2.5 million in 2008-09 for the development of an Early Years Learning Framework.
Together these new investments are aimed at meeting the Government’s commitment to creating an affordable, accessible and high quality early childhood education for all Australian families.
The Australian Government Census of Child Care is available here