This publication provides information about child care across Australia for the December quarter 2010. The data in the report are sourced primarily from the Department’s administrative system, the Child Care Management System. Key findings In the December quarter 2010 there were 911,990 Australian children in approved child care, up 4 per cent on the December...

This article presents a snapshot of findings from a research project about the experiences of Australian grandparents who regularly care for grandchildren.

The supply of formal childcare has expanded in many developed countries. There is ambiguity, however, in the theory that the entry of care providers increases consumers’ surplus and the welfare of households in a market with differentiated services, such as childcare. This study empirically investigates how perceived search costs and parental life satisfaction change when...

Caring for young children, and getting the caring right, is becoming recognised as one of the most significant challenges facing parents, communities and societies. Young children who develop secure attachments through positive caregiving are more likely to experience lower levels of stress and other associated benefits. In turn, they are more able to contribute positively...

Australia has become a case study in how not to run child-care services, writes DEBORAH BRENNAN on Inside Story. How did this happen and what should we do about it?