4402.0.55.001 - Microdata: Childhood Education and Care, Australia , June 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/10/2012   
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QUALITY DECLARATION


INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Table Builder and Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFs) are released in accordance with the conditions specified in the Statistics Determination section of the Census and Statistics Act 1905 (CSA). This ensures that confidentiality is maintained whilst enabling micro level data to be released. More information on the confidentiality practices associated with TableBuilder and CURFs can be found at the Survey Data Confidentiality and About CURF Microdata pages respectively.

For information on the institutional environment of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), including the legislative obligations of the ABS, financing and governance arrangements, and mechanisms for scrutiny of ABS operations, please see ABS Institutional Environment.


RELEVANCE

Microdata from the Childhood Education and Care Survey 2011 are available as an Expanded CURF and in TableBuilder. The microdata contains information about child care arrangements and early childhood education for children between 0–12 years of age.

This survey was conducted as a supplement to the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As a result, persons excluded from the LFS were also excluded from this survey (see Explanatory Notes of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) for standard LFS exclusions). Additional exclusions from this survey were very remote areas of Australia, any non-residents visiting Australia (diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, members of non-Australian defence forces stationed in Australia, or non-residents otherwise visiting Australia), and residents of non-private dwellings such as hospitals, hotels and motels.

Information collected in the survey included: usual care arrangements (types of care, duration and cost); care arrangements used in the survey reference week (types of care, duration and cost); attendance at a preschool or preschool program (usually or in the survey reference week); need for additional formal care or preschool; early childhood education and learning activities.

For more information, see Childhood Education and Care, Australia, June 2011 (cat. no. 4402.0).


TIMELINESS


The Childhood Education and Care survey is conducted throughout Australia every three years in June, as a supplement to the monthly LFS. The ABS has been conducting similar surveys since 1969. Until 2005, these were known as the Child Care Surveys. Data from the most recent survey (June 2011), in the form of html and data cubes, were released on 4 May 2012. The microdata products are generally released approximately 16 months after enumeration is completed.


ACCURACY


The microdata contains finer levels of detail for data items than what is otherwise published in other formats, for example, in Childhood Education and Care, Australia, June 2011 (cat. no. 4402.0). For more information on the level of detail provided, please see the associated data item lists.

Steps to confidentialise the data made available on the CURF and in TableBuilder are taken in such a way as to maximise the usefulness of the content while maintaining the confidentiality of respondents selected in the survey. As a result it may not be possible to exactly reconcile all the statistics produced from the microdata with other published statistics. Further information about the steps taken to confidentialise the microdata is available through the following links:

CURF confidentiality
TableBuilder confidentiality


COHERENCE


Results from the previous survey on this topic were published in Childhood Education and Care, Australia, June 2008 (cat. no. 4402.0). Data on earlier topics can be found on the Past and Future Releases page or by contacting the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.

The ABS seeks to maximise consistency and comparability over time by minimising changes to the survey. Sound survey practice, however, requires ongoing development to maintain the integrity of the data. For changes between iterations of the survey, please refer to the Explanatory Notes section of Childhood Education and Care, Australia, June 2011 (cat. no. 4402.0).

INTERPRETABILITY


The information within this product should be referred to when using the microdata. It contains information including Survey methodology, File structure, Using the CURF, Using the TableBuilder, Conditions of use and the Data item lists.

The Explanatory Notes section of Childhood Education and Care, Australia, June 2011 (cat. no. 4402.0) includes information on terminology, classifications and other technical aspects associated with the Childhood Education and Care survey.


ACCESSIBILITY

Microdata products are available to approved users. Users wishing to access the microdata should read the How to apply for Microdata web page, before applying for access through MiCRO and/or the Registration Centre. Users should also familiarise themselves with information available via the Microdata Entry Page.

A full list of available microdata can be viewed via the List of expected and available Microdata. More detail regarding types and modes of access to CURFs can be found on the CURF Access Modes and Levels of Detail web page.

CEaCS 2011 TableBuilder microdata can be accessed using the TableBuilder product. The Expanded CURF can be accessed through the Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL) and the ABS Data Laboratory (ABSDL).

Any questions regarding access to microdata can be forwarded to microdata.access@abs.gov.au or phone (02) 6252 7714.