Contextual information
Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood education and care service providers
Data tables appear under figures
Measure
Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-focused integrated early years services
Nationally in 2023, there were 155 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-focused integrated early years services. Almost seven in 10 (69.0%) were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community-controlled services (107 services) with the remainder government and/or non-Indigenous controlled services (48 services) (figure SE3b.1). The jurisdictions where the majority of services were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled were New South Wales (44 out of 47), Victoria (11 out of 11), Queensland (28 out of 41), Western Australia (six out of nine), South Australia (four out of seven), Tasmania (two out of two) and the Australian Capital Territory (one out of one).
Nationally, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early years services has increased almost every year since the baseline year of 2016, when there were 86 services.
Indicator data specifications
Related outcome: | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are engaged in high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education in their early years. |
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Related target: | By 2025, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children enrolled in Year Before Full‑time Schooling (YBFS) early childhood education to 95%. |
Indicator: | Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood education and care service providers. |
Measure: | This measure is defined as: Numerator – the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander‑focused integrated early years services, that are:
and is presented as a number. |
Indicator established: | National Agreement on Closing the Gap July 2020 |
Latest dashboard update for the indicator: | 31 July 2024 |
Indicator type: | Contextual information |
Interpretation of change: | A high or increasing number is desirable. |
Data source(s): | Name (numerator): Register of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-focused integrated early years services. Frequency: Annual (revised data for 2022 in the July 2024 dashboard update) Documentation (links): |
Data provider: | Provider name: SNAICC – National Voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation) Provider area: Social Policy and Research |
Baseline year: | 2016 |
Latest reporting period: | 2023 |
Disaggregations: | State and territory and Australia, by governance structure. |
Computation: | Number Counting rules The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood education and care service providers includes all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander‑focused integrated early years services nationally. These include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family centres (ACFCs), multifunctional Aboriginal children’s services (MACS), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander preschool (kindergarten) services, and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-operated long day care centres. Early years services are counted separately for each location in which they operate. State and territory is based on the location of the service. Services are counted as at 1 August, annually. An ‘Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisation’ is: a. incorporated under relevant legislation and not‑for‑profit b. controlled and operated by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people c. connected to the community, or communities, in which they deliver the services d. governed by a majority Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander governing body (National Agreement on Closing the Gap). ‘Government and/or non‑Indigenous controlled’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander‑focused integrated early years services:
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Data quality considerations: | The data is not comparable with Preschool Education, Australia, which counts services providing preschool programs only. The data is currently not available for government and/or non‑Indigenous controlled services that do not receive funding via the Australian Government’s Child Care Subsidy System or Community Child Care Fund (CCCF or CCCF‑Restricted) (such as state and territory government funded preschool services). The data for government and/or non‑Indigenous controlled services is not available prior to 2022. |
Future reporting: | Future reporting will seek to include the following additional disaggregations:
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