Overview
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is a nationwide collection of early childhood development. The AEDC provides a snapshot of children’s development across five key areas of development in their first year of full-time school.
The AEDC is one of the most comprehensive national collections on children’s development in the world. It helps shape the future wellbeing of Australian children by providing evidence to support education, health, and community policy and planning.
Every three years, the AEDC provides a comprehensive snapshot of the developmental status of children in their first year of full-time school. The 2024 collection is the sixth collection of AEDC data since 2009. Each data collection contributes to building a more comprehensive picture of early childhood development in Australia over time.
Access the 2024 AEDC National Report and AEDC Key Findings 2024 fact sheet
The AEDC is completed by teachers of children in their first year of full-time school. Teachers collect their data using an instrument (like a questionnaire) called the Australian version of the Early Development Instrument (AvEDI). It has about 100 questions, which ask about aspects of children’s development across five domains:
- physical health and wellbeing
- social competence
- emotional maturity
- language and cognitive skills (school-based)
- communication skills and general knowledge.
History of the AEDC
The Early Development Instrument (EDI) was developed in Canada in the 1990s by Dr Dan Offord and Dr Magdalena Janus to measure the developmental health and wellbeing of populations of young children.
An adapted version of the EDI, the Australian version of the Early Development Instrument (AvEDI), was established soon after and piloted with a small sample of children in Perth in 2001-2003. Between 2004-2008, the AvEDI was used in over 60 communities across Australia, with implementation support provided by the Centre for Community Child Health and The Kids Research Institute Australia in partnerships with the Australian Government. Many other countries have also adapted the EDI for their own use.
In 2009, the Australian Government funded the national rollout of the AvEDI in partnership with all states and territories, in a program called the Australian Early Development Index. The program officially became the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) in 2014.
Download the History of AEDC graphic
CCCH's role
CCCH oversee the knowledge translation aspects of the program, including the 2024/25 redevelopment of the AEDC website and the development of the 2024 AEDC National Report and associated resources.
Our team
- Prof Sharon Goldfeld, Director, Centre for Community Child Health
- Vikki Leone, Knowledge Translation Manager
- Louise Cetrola, Senior Project Officer, Knowledge Translation
- Marc Zen, Senior Project Officer, Knowledge Translation
- Margie Hone, Senior Project Officer, Knowledge Translation
- Nicole Beer, Senior Project Officer, Knowledge Translation
Partners and funders
Since 2002, the Australian Government has worked in partnership with eminent child health research institutes, the Centre for Community Child Health at The Royal Children’s Hospital and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and The Kids Research Institute Australia to deliver the Australian Early Development Census program to communities nationwide. The Australian Government continues to work with its partners, and with state and territory governments to implement the AEDC.