Conducted regularly since 1986 the census is the most comprehensive data available on Australian government approved and funded child care. It is used extensively for monitoring growth, operation of services and assisting in policy formulation and planning. The most recent Census was conducted in May 2006. The Census examines information about child care users, staff...

• Child care is said to be a public good because it supposedly has developmental and academic benefits for children, and increases female labour-force participation and therefore economic growth. Numerous reports state unequivocally—but often without providing supporting evidence—that more women would work if child care was cheaper and more easily available. • The 2007 CIS...

Children learn and develop through a combination of experiences, within and outside the family home. This Policy Brief explores the distinction that is often made about the role of care and education in children’s services and highlights the importance of the interwoven nature of care and education. For the purpose of this Policy Brief, ‘children’s...

Cross country comparisons of lifecycle labour supplies show that female hours of market work are significantly lower in Australia than in other comparable OECD countries, notably, the US, UK and Sweden. This paper argues that an explanation can be found in the rate structure of the Australian family income tax system, in combination with a...

The paper examines how the use of child care, the time parents spend with children, and parental wellbeing relate to parental employment. It looks at four themes: the labour force status and job characteristics of parents with young children; patterns of use of child care and how they vary according to parental employment status; the...