3 - Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council

According to the ABS 2011 Childhood Education and Care Survey (CEaCS), most (85%) childrenaged 4 and 5 who were not yet in school attended preschool (including long day care preschoolprograms) (Figure 4.4). This was similar to the proportion in 2008 (86%). Preschool programattendance rates were higher among children:• in couple families (88%) compared with one-parent families (73%)• with at least one parent employed (89%) compared with those with no parent employed (68%)• with higher parental income (92% among children whose parents earned $2,000 or more perweek) compared with those earning less than $1,000 (80%).Differences in preschool attendance by remoteness were not statistically significant (AIHWanalysis of ABS 2008 and 2011 CEaCS data). See Box 4.2 for discussion of access to early childhoodeducation for Indigenous children.Family typeCouple familyOne-parent familyParentalemploymentstatusAt least one parent employedNo parent employedParental weeklyincomeRemotenessLess than $1,000$1,000–$1,999$2,000 or moreMajor citiesInner regionalOther areas4All children0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Per centNotes1. ‘Other areas’ include Outer regional and Remote areas combined. Very remote areas were excluded from the survey.2. Error bars indicate the values of the lower and upper 95% confidence intervals.3. Data for this figure are shown in Table A4.6.Sources: AIHW analysis of ABS 2011 Childhood Education and Care Survey confidentialised unit record file; ABS 2012c.Figure 4.4: Selected characteristics of children aged 4 and 5 attending preschool,June 2011Australia’s welfare 2013 155