What can the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children tell us about infants' and 4 to 5 year olds' experiences of early childhood education and care?

In this article the authors provide an overview of data from the Growing Up in Australia study on patterns of use of child care. Early childhood education and child care are a feature of the wider environment that will affect children over the course of the study. The first wave of data show the diversity of non parental care experiences of children today. This descriptive paper provides a useful starting point for examining the effects not only of the amount but also the quality of non parental care on children's development over the early years. Implications for policy and future research directions are discussed.