by Linda J Harrison, Judy A Ungerer, Grant J Smith, Stephen  R Zubrick, Sarah Wise with Frances Press, Manjula Waniganayake and The LSAC Research Consortium

This report was commissioned by the Australian Government Office for Women as part of the Women’s Leadership and Development Programme. The research undertaken for Child care and early education in Australia is based on data collected in Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) from parents, children and child care/early education carers and teachers.

The Wave 1 LSAC sample comprises 5,107 infants (mean age 8.8 months, range from 3 to 19 months) and 4,983 children (mean age 4 years and 9 months, range from 4 years and 3 months to 5 years and 7 months) and their families.

The report addresses a number of questions relating to child care and early education in Australia and contains findings on these topics:

• child care and early education attendance patterns for infants and 4 to 5 year-old children
• parents’ reasons for using care and satisfaction with their infant or child’s care/education
• family, child and community factors related to current attendance at child care and early education services
• indicators of quality in formal and informal care/education programs attended by the LSAC infant or child
• developmental outcomes, such as health, social and cognitive development, for infants and children in relation to care/education attendance patterns, quality indicators, and other influencing family, child and community factors.

Read the report online athttp://www.fahcsia.gov.au/about/publicationsarticles/research/socialpolicy/Documents/prp40/default.htm

Download as PDF athttp://www.fahcsia.gov.au/about/publicationsarticles/research/socialpolicy/Documents/prp40/sprp_40.pdf