Resources & Publications

Australian Early Development Census

The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is a nationwide data collection of early childhood development at the time children commence their first year of full-time school.  The AEDC highlights what is working well and what needs to be improved or developed to support children and their families by providing evidence to support health, education and community policy and planning.

The AEDC is held every three years and collects data relating to five key areas of early childhood development referred to as ‘domains’, these include:

  • Physical health and well being

  • Social competence

  • Emotional maturity

  • Language and cognitive skills (school-based)

  • Communication skills and general knowledge

The AEDC domains have been shown to predict later health, wellbeing and academic success.

AEDC data collected in 2018 demonstrated high levels of vulnerability and a growing gap between Wimmera Southern Mallee children and their urban counterparts, and that a high proportion of children were starting school with emerging health and development needs.

AEDC data collected in 2021 has demonstrated that this gap is widening. By Five are committed to changing these statistics.

Children developmentally vulnerable in one or more domain (2021)

Our Reports

  • The By Five Strategic Plan 2022-2025 outlines the plan to improve the Australian Early Development Census outcomes of children in the Wimmera Southern Mallee. Download Here.

  • By Five was commissioned by Wimmera Southern Mallee, Mallee and Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnerships to write ‘The Sustainable Childcare for Rural Children – Summary Report’ and partnered with the North Central LLEN on this project.

    The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system is precarious in small rural towns, specifically Long Day Care (LDC). Rural communities require a systematic redesign that shifts from ‘financial viability’ to ‘equity’. High-quality ECEC is critical for the future of children, families and communities. Developed with key stakeholders across the WSM, Loddon, Buloke and Gannawarra regions this report includes short term recommendations for small rural communities along with advocacy recommendations to attain sustainable ECEC.

    Download the full report here.

  • The Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and The Royal Children’s Hospital were commissioned to evaluate the By Five Paediatric project. Download full report here.

  • This report demonstrates the lived experience of women and professionals and what changes or improvements they would like to see.

    Information was collected in the context of antenatal, domiciliary, post-natal care, and maternal and child health care.

    This report will inform future work in the antenatal space to improve outcomes for women, children and families. Download full report here.

  • Born from community demand, the purpose of this report was to demonstrate an understanding of the complex service system; what is working well, and to identify barriers. Then, using this information and evidence, develop considerations for trial and advocacy. Full report available to download soon.

  • In 2022, By Five sought to improve our understanding of the ECEC funding and operating environment to enable us to identify opportunities to ensure our children can access what they need, when and where they need it.

    The childcare story provides a platform for advocacy in improving not only outcomes for children experiencing adversity, but also addressing issues such as gender equity, workforce challenges, and our region’s economic prosperity and liveability. Download full report here.

  • This report was developed by the Centre for Community Child Health, the learning partner of By Five. Download full report here.

Guiding Evidence

  • Restacking the Odds is working to ensure that children and families can and do access a combination of high-quality, evidence-informed services where and when they need them.

  • The Kids in Communities Study (KiCS) aimed to understand how different factors in our communities—physical environment, social environment, socio-economic factors, access to services, and governance—influence the way that children develop.

  • The Invisible Children Report was commissioned in response to concerns about the growing vulnerability of country children. RFW commissioned a review of the state of children’s developmental health in rural and remote Australia from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s Centre for Community Child Health.

  • The Nest is ARACY’s wellbeing framework for children and young people aged 0 to 24 years. It’s a way of thinking about the whole child in the context of their daily lives, viewing wellbeing in a way that brings together the different elements a child or young person needs in order to thrive.

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