National Indicator Catalogue (NIC)

The ABS Childhood Education and Care Survey (CEaCS) was conducted for the first time in June 2008. Prior to the CEaCS, the ABS conducted the Child Care Survey (CCS) triennially between 1969 and 2005. The main aims of the CCS was to provide information on the use and cost of child care in a survey (related to care usage in a survey reference week), and some aspects of families– requirements for formal care or preschool. In addition to this information, the CEaCS collected information for the first time on early childhood education and learning (the types of learning activities that children aged 0–8 years engage in, the environments in which these activities take place and patterns of attendance at preschool and school).

The scope of the 2008 CEaCS was Australian resident children aged 0–12 years and their families living in private dwellings in non-remote Australia. The CEaCS excludes people living in Very remote parts of Australia. For the Northern Territory, this represents 23% of the population. In each selected household, detailed information about child care arrangements and early childhood education was collected for a maximum of two children aged 0–12 years. Information was obtained via interview from an adult who permanently resided in the selected household and was either the child–s parent, stepparent or guardian.