National Workforce Census
Research areas
Education +
Knowledge
Workforce +
Economy
Project status
The Early Childhood Education and Care National Workforce Census is an important data collection to provide a national overview of the early childhood education and care workforce in Australia.
Key dates
| Family Day Care, In-Home Care, OSHC (Before and/or after School Care), Centre Based Day Care, and dedicated Preschools and Kindergartens in all states. | Register before 14 September 2026.
The Census opens Monday 21 September 2026. |
| OSHC (Vacation Care) services in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. | Register before 28 September 2026.
The Census opens Monday 5 October 2026. |
| OSHC (Vacation Care) services in Tasmania and Western Australia. | Register before 5 October 2026.
The Census opens Monday 12 October 2026. |
The Census will ask questions about a seven-day period, or reference week.
Click here to confirm the reference week for the service you are completing the Census for.
Partner
Australian Government Department of Education.
Aims + Outcomes
The information collected through the Census supports governments to understand the availability, characteristics and distribution of the early childhood education and care workforce. This information is used to inform workforce planning, program design, policy development and reporting at the Australian, state and territory levels.
Methods
The National Workforce Census involves three phases: Register for the NWC, Review and prepare the NWC data and Complete the NWC.
Insights
25%
Master project template 2: insight 1. 25% of … say that … this is a test.
20%
Master project template 2: Of those who were a part in activities, around 1 in 5 were representing their town, city or state.
1 in 10
Master project template: An upward trend in student interest in x,y,z and 1 in 10 students mentioned that this was a sample insight.
Impact
ABC
Who is hiring for those with disabilities?
ABC
Who is hiring for those with disabilities?
ABC
Who is hiring for those with disabilities?
Have you been contacted to participate?
Who participates?
It is mandatory for all CCS approved providers and services to participate. This is a requirement of your approval under Family Assistance Law.
Dedicated state- or territory- run preschools and kindergartens also play a significant role in children’s education, and their participation in the NWC is crucial to ensure accurate data is captured for the entire sector.
What are the benefits?
How does it work?
Click here to view the video tutorial of how to register for the National Workforce Census.
Resources
Preparation phase: Questionnaire preparation
PDF to share: Overview of the Census
Video to share: Registration tutorial video
How do we ensure privacy is protected?
Get in touch
Further information?
If you have any questions about the National Workforce and can’t find the answer through the resources above, please contact the National Workforce Census Helpline on 1800 800 996 (free call from 9:00am to 5:00pm AEST, Monday to Friday) or email nwc@srcentre.com.au.
FAQs
Census FAQs
General FAQs
