The Early Childhood Education and Care National Workforce Census helps us develop and measure policies and programs for the early childhood education and care sector.
On this page:
About the census
The National Workforce Census is for:
- all Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved providers
- dedicated preschools and kindergartens.
It collects information about:
- service use
- children with additional needs
- access to preschool programs
- staff details, including staff demographics, types of work, roles, wages, professional development, qualifications, tenure, experience and current study.
We use this information to:
- get a national overview of the early childhood education and care workforce
- inform policy and programs, including the National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy.
Alignment with the National Early Childhood Worker Register
We know services already give a lot of information to government. As we plan the next National Workforce Census, we will work to avoid asking for the same information twice.
This includes making sure our work lines up with the new National Early Childhood Worker Register.
To help reduce the workload for services, the census will no longer ask for information about each individual worker. Instead, it will collect simple, service level data. This will make the census easier and faster to complete, while still giving us the information we need.
Next census
The sixth National Workforce Census will take place in 2026.
The Social Research Centre will conduct the National Workforce Census between September and November 2026.
It is mandatory for all CCS-approved providers to participate. This is a requirement of your approval under Family Assistance Law.
Below are some key dates you should be aware of.
Key dates
| Timing | Action |
|---|---|
| May to June 2026 | All providers must ensure their contact details are up to date in the Child Care Subsidy System. You must have correct contact details for the provider, all services and all persons with management or control (PMCs). |
| July to August 2026 | Registration will open on 6 July 2026. The Social Research Centre will contact providers, services and PMCs in July with more information. |
| September to November 2026 | The Social Research Centre will conduct the National Workforce Census. |
Previous census data
Access National Workforce Census data from previous years.
More information
For more information, email the National Workforce Census team at
ECEC-NWC@education.gov.au.