Investigators
Alanna Sincovich, Neida Sechague Monroy, Tess Gregory
Project description
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) tracks how children’s development is supported in the first five years of life, before they start school. Exploring trends in AEDC data over time can help to understand where progress has been made and where opportunities to support communities, families, and children in the early years remain.
In NSW, AEDC data has been collected on almost 500,000 children over a 12-year period since the first data collection in 2009. In 2021, there was a decline in child development outcomes.
The aim of this project was to conduct a critical analysis of the AEDC data for NSW children to understand the factors contributing to the changes in child development outcomes over time. This included exploration of trends in children’s development across equity groups, shifts in the demographic profiles of children, changes in children’s experiences of early childhood education and care before school, and children with additional health and medical needs. Findings from this critical analysis informed further analysis focused on 30 Local Government Areas across NSW where children’s development either improved or declined in 2021.
Overall, this project sought to provide the NSW Department of Education with actionable information to guide evidence-based decision making for policy and practice.
For further information about the project and its findings, contact Alanna Sincovich.
Funders
Department of Education, New South Wales