Long day care services for children grew rapidly in the 1990s,
opening for longer hours and offering a greater variety of
different services than ever before, according to a report released
today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Trends in Long Day Care Services for Children in Australia,
1991-99 shows that the number of Commonwealth-supported places
available in long day care centres increased by 150% over the
1990s-from about 76,200 places in 1991 to more than 190,300 places
in 1999.
The number of Commonwealth-supported family day care places
(based in carers' homes) also increased over the same period, by
51%-from 42,500 places to just over 64,000.
While these services were originally set up to provide long day
care for children under school age, this report shows that they are
increasingly offering a variety of programs-including long day
care, preschool programs, occasional care and school-age care.
By 1999, around half of all centres had a preschool program run
by a qualified teacher and half of the private-for-profit centres
ran an outside-school-hours care program.
Head of the AIHW's Children, Youth and Families Unit, Helen
Moyle, said increasing participation of mothers in the work force
was one of the main reasons for the growth in demand for child care
in Australia, and the Commonwealth had responded to this growth in
demand since the late 1980s. Centres had also responded to parents'
needs by diversifying the programs that they deliver.
'It's interesting to note, however, that while there are many
more places available, and many long day care centres are now open
for 11 hours a day or more, children are spending less time in long
day care services overall,' Ms Moyle said.
'The proportion of children in long day care centres for less
than 20 hours a week increased from 53% to 62% between 1991 and
1999, while the proportion in care for 40 hours or more fell from
19% to 12%.'
The report also shows that more than half of all children using
centre-based long day care were aged between 3 and4 years, compared
with just under one-third of children in family day care
services.
The proportion of children aged under 2 years in long day care
increased from 23% to 33% between 1991 and 1999, in line with the
increased number of places made available for younger children.
28 November 2002
Further information: Ms Helen Moyle, AIHW, tel.
02 6244 1188
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, tel. 02 6244 1032
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for details.