COLLECTION COVERAGE


All state and territory governments of Australia, as well as the Australian Government, currently collect data on preschool programs. The current governance responsibilities for ECEC within each jurisdiction are outlined below:

1.1 GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR ECEC, 2011
Jurisdiction	Government Department
Australian Government	Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
New South Wales	Department of Education and Communities
Victoria	Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Queensland	Department of Education and Training
South Australia	Department for Education and Child Development
Western Australia	Department of Education
Tasmania	Department of Education
Northern Territory	Department of Education and Training
Australian Capital Territory	Education and Training Directorate

In an effort to achieve complete coverage of all ECEC services delivering preschool programs in Australia, ECEC data were sourced from state and territory education departments and compiled together with data from the Australian Government. The collection coverage in each state and territory for the 2011 National ECEC Collection is outlined below. For more detailed information on each jurisdiction’s data collection activities, refer to Chapter 5, Jurisdictional Data Quality Statements. Data sources for the National ECEC Collection for each sector within the states and territories are outlined in Chapter 2, Collection Overview.

Coverage in New South Wales
Within New South Wales (NSW) full collection coverage was achieved for all government preschools through the Government School Census

Full coverage was achieved for all government funded preschools through the Children’s Services Annual Data Collection. Within these preschools, only children who did not receive or were not eligible for the Child Care Benefit (CCB) or the Child Care Rebate (CCR) were included in the collection.

All services approved for the purposes of CCB were required to provide data through the Australian Government’s Child Care Management System (CCMS). However, LDCs delivering preschool programs were not mandated to complete the preschool program component of the CCMS, which resulted in under-coverage due to non-response. Service providers that were not approved for CCB purposes were not included in the CCMS.

There were a small number of non-government preschools not covered in the 2011 collection because they were not funded by NSW Department of Education and Communities. The majority of these providers are school-based preschools, associated with non-government schools. The appropriate mechanism to include these preschools in the collection is still under investigation.

See Chapter 4, Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, for further information on the sectors that deliver preschool programs in NSW.

Coverage in Victoria
Within Victoria (Vic.) full collection coverage was achieved for all preschool programs delivered in services that were licensed and funded by Vic. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development through the Confirmed Kindergarten Funding Data Collection (conducted in April) and the August Data Collection. The majority of service providers delivering preschool programs in Vic. were covered within these collections, irrespective of their management type and service delivery setting.

A small number of LDC centres operating a preschool program were not funded or licensed by Vic. DEECD. If these services were approved for the purposes of CCB, they were required to provide data through the CCMS. However, LDCs delivering preschool programs were not mandated to complete the preschool program component of the CCMS, which may have resulted in under-coverage due to non-response. Service providers that were not approved for CCB purposes were not included in the CCMS, so this may have resulted in under-coverage within Vic.

See Chapter 4, Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, for further information on the sectors that deliver preschool programs in Vic.

Coverage in Queensland
Within Queensland (Qld) full collection coverage was achieved for all approved service providers in receipt of Qld government funding through the Early Childhood Education and Care Services Census (ECECSC). Participation in the ECECSC was voluntary for unfunded providers and therefore there was not complete coverage of this sector due to non-response.

All services approved for the purposes of CCB were required to provide data through the CCMS. However, LDCs delivering preschool programs were not mandated to complete the preschool program component of the CCMS, which may have resulted in under-coverage due to non-response. Service providers that were not approved for CCB purposes were not included in the CCMS, so this may have resulted in under-coverage within Qld.

See Chapter 4, Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, for further information on the sectors that deliver preschool programs in Qld.

Coverage in South Australia
Within South Australia (SA) full collection coverage was achieved for all government managed and government funded preschool programs in SA through the Annual Census of Children’s Services (ACCS). Participation in the ACCS was compulsory for all government managed, and government funded preschool programs. Participation was voluntary for independent and Catholic school managed preschool providers and for unfunded community managed providers. As a result, there was not complete coverage of this sector.

All services approved for the purposes of CCB were required to provide data through the CCMS. However, LDCs delivering preschool programs were not mandated to complete the preschool program component of the CCMS, which may have resulted in under-coverage due to non-response. Service providers that were not approved for CCB purposes were not included in the CCMS, so this will have resulted in under-coverage within SA.

See Chapter 4, Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, for further information on the sectors that deliver preschool programs in SA.

Coverage in Western Australia
Within Western Australia (WA) full collection coverage was achieved for all preschool programs delivered in registered and funded schools (both government and non-government) and community-based preschools through the WA School Census.

All services approved for the purposes of CCB were required to provide data through the CCMS. However, LDCs delivering preschool programs were not mandated to complete the preschool program component of the CCMS, which may have resulted in under-coverage due to non-response. Service providers that were not approved for CCB purposes were not included in the CCMS, so this may have resulted in under-coverage within WA.

See Chapter 4, Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, for further information on the sectors that deliver preschool programs in WA.

Coverage in Tasmania
Within Tasmania (Tas.) full collection coverage was achieved for all preschool programs delivered in government and non-government schools through the Tas. Government School Census and the Tas. Non-government Preschool Census.

All services approved for the purposes of CCB were required to provide data through the CCMS. However, LDCs delivering preschool programs were not mandated to complete the preschool program component of the CCMS, which may have resulted in under-coverage due to non-response. Service providers that were not approved for CCB purposes were not included in the CCMS, so this may have resulted in under-coverage within Tas.

See Chapter 4, Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, for further information on the sectors that deliver preschool programs in Tas.

Coverage in Northern Territory
Within The Northern Territory (NT) full collection coverage was achieved for all government and registered non-government preschools through the NT Age/Grade Census.

All services approved for the purposes of CCB were required to provide data through the CCMS. However, LDCs delivering preschool programs were not mandated to complete the preschool program component of the CCMS, which may have resulted in under-coverage due to non-response. Service providers that were not approved for CCB purposes were not included in the CCMS, so this may have resulted in under-coverage within NT.

See Chapter 4, Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, for further information on the sectors that deliver preschool programs in NT.

Coverage in Australian Capital Territory
Within The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) full collection coverage was achieved for all ACT government managed schools delivering preschool programs through the ACT Public School Census. Catholic schools, independent schools, and community (not for-profit) and private for-profit managed preschools were not covered in the collection.

All services approved for the purposes of CCB were required to provide data through the CCMS. However, LDCs delivering preschool programs were not mandated to complete the preschool program component of the CCMS, which may have resulted in under-coverage due to non-response. Service providers that were not approved for CCB purposes were not included in the CCMS, so this may have resulted in under-coverage within ACT.

See Chapter 4, Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, for further information on the sectors that deliver preschool programs in ACT.

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