ACCS Trends in Community Children's Services Survey (TICCSS)
The Trends in Community Children's Services Survey (TICCSS) is a longitudinal research study conducted by ACCS
As Australia's national peak body for not for profit education and care services, ACCS recognised that the stories of not for profit children's education and care services were not being heard and back in 2012 began an ambitious research agenda.
In 2012, the first Trends in Community Children's Services Survey (TICCSS) was undertaken to track the experiences of community children's education and care services in Australia. TICCSS will enable monitoring of the experiences of children's services across Australia focusing on educator:child ratios, utilisation, waiting lists, fees (including increases), experiences in implementing the National Quality Framework (NQF), existing and emerging vulnerabilities in their communities and experiences in recruiting and retaining staff.
TICCSS Sixth Wave 2020
In the sixth and final wave, TICCSS research showed that:
- Not-for-profit education and care services are more likely to achieve Exceeding and Excellent ratings than the national averages
- 48% of not-for-profit services have more educators per child than legally required across all age groups
- Over two-thirds (65%) of not-for-profit education and care services provided pay and conditions for teachers and educators above their relevant award.
In this final wave of TICCSS, participants were also asked about the impact of COVID-19 on their service, families and children.
TICCSS Fifth Wave 2019
In 2019, TICCSS research proved that:
- More not-for-profit childcare services are high quality and fewer are poorer quality compared to services run for profit
- Not-for-profit services maintain or improve on their already high quality ratings
- Not-for-profit services have higher numbers of educators and teachers than they are legally required to.
Read the Victorian media release.
TICCSS Fourth Wave 2017
The latest Trends in Community Children’s Services survey (TICCS) shows that the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care is doing what it was designed to do – lift the quality of early childhood education and care for Australia's children. The survey found that community children’s services are delivering some of the highest quality services in Australia.
TICCS Third Wave 2015
Conducted in 2014, the third wave of TICCS attracted a huge response. A total of 874 individual survey responses were received from services employing close to 11,000 educators who provide education and care to over 53,000 children per day! Survey responses were collected from all states and territories of Australia.
TICCS Second Wave 2013
Survey Results: Community Childrens Services and the National Quality Framework
ACCS conducted a second wave of TICCS. Over 500 services participated, including long day care, family day care, outside school hours care, preschool/kindergarten, in-home care and mobile services from all states and territories.
TICCS First Wave 2012
Conducted in June/July 2012, the first wave of TICCS attracted responses from 640 services around Australia. Responses were as varied as the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector, representing all states and territories, a range of service sizes (from 25 places or less to 80 places plus), and a range of metropolitan, regional and remote services. The respondents deliver a range of services to meet the needs of Australian families including long day care, before and after school care, kindergarten/preschool, family day care, vacation care, in-home care, multi-functional Aboriginal children's services, occasional care and mobile service for rural and remote families.
The first wave of research showed that after six months of the National Early Years Quality Reforms, the community child care sector is thriving.