IN CONFIDENCE
PILOT VERSION ONLY
Centre-based child carer questionnaire
Child aged 0-12 months
Thank you for helping us with the Growing Up in Australia study.
This questionnaire is for the person who is the main carer of child who is a participant in the
Growing Up in Australia study. That is, working in this child’s room/group regularly.
Please fill out this questionnaire with regard to yourself and the child named below, thinking
about the child while he/she is in your group.
Child’s name: ____________________________
PLEASE TIME HOW MANY MINUTES IT TAKES YOU TO COMPLETE THIS
SURVEY AND RECORD THIS ON THE BACK PAGE.
When completed, please put into the reply paid envelope and mail it back to us.
All the information you provide will remain totally confidential. This means that it will
never be used in any way that identifies individuals, children or families.
Participation in this study is voluntary. If you have any questions or want more information
about the study you can contact Colmar Brunton Social Research on freecall 1800 004 446
and mention the Growing Up in Australia study.
Child ID:………………………………
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PLEASE RECORD START TIME |__|__| HRS |__|__| MINS
SECTION 1: CENTRE/SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS
The following questions are about the centre, program or school in which you work.
1.
In what sector of early childhood care and education is your program based? Please
read the definitions beside each option. Mark one option that best describes your
program.
1. Long day care program - A centre-based child care program: The centre may be
2.
3.
4.
5.
open up to 8 hours a day, five days a week and across at least 48 weeks of the year.
Long day care program in a school setting - A centre-based child care
program available only during the school terms for up to 8 hours a day, five days a
week:
Occasional care program - A centre-based program that provides child care on a
short-term basis. Children, within the age range of 0 to 5 years, may attend half-days
or full-days for a limited number of sessions per week.
Multi-purpose centre - A centre-based program that provides long day care in
addition to other child and family services, such as early intervention, family day care,
family support. Include Multi-functional Aboriginal Children’s Services in this option.
Other (Please describe)
_____________________________________________
2.
Under what organisational basis does your program operate? Please mark one option
that best describes the administrative/organisational basis under which your program
operates.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Government school: State or territory government
Independent school: Non-denominational
Independent school: Catholic education
Independent school: Sponsored by a religious faith other than Catholic
5. Non-profit organisation: community-based
6. Non-profit organisation: sponsored by a religious faith
7. For-profit organisation [Private or franchised centre, commercial child care chain.]
8. Local government
9. Higher education institution [University or TAFE college]
10. Employer-sponsored child care [Private company]
11. Other (Please describe) _____________________________________________
If your program is located in a long day care centre, please respond to the following question.
3. Is your centre registered with the National Childcare Accreditation Council?
Yes
[ ] No [ ]
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SECTION 2: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROOM/GROUP
These questions are about your group. Please complete these questions for the group/room
where the focus child spends most of his/her time.
1. On average, how many children are in the room/group on any day that the focus child
attends?
Number of children _______
2. On average, what is the primary age range within the room/group that the focus child
attends? (Please describe the general age range in years, e.g., birth to 2 years, 1 to 3 years).
Age range of children _____months or _____ years TO ____ years
3. On average, how many adults, in paid positions, are typically in your room at a time when
most children who are enrolled in the program have arrived?
Number of adults ______________________
4. On average, how many qualified staff are typically in your room when most children who
are enrolled in the program have arrived? (that is, staff with certificates, diplomas or above)
Number of adults ________________________
5. On average, how many children in the class or group are from a non-English speaking
family background?
Number of children _____________
6.
How many children in your current class or group have a diagnosed disability (e.g.,
intellectual, sensory, physical, autistic spectrum disorder, developmental delay)?
Number of children _____________
SECTION 3: YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
The next questions ask for demographic information and information about your educational
and professional experiences.
1
Are you
[ ] Male?
[ ] Female?
2
What was your age last birthday?
_________ years
3
3
What is your current work status?
 Paid, full-time (35 hours or more per week)
 Paid, part-time (less than 35 hours per week)
 Unpaid, full-time
 Unpaid, part-time
 Other (please specify) ____________________________
4
Counting this year, for how many years have you worked in child care settings or
other early education programs (eg., preschool, kindergarten, Years 1 to 3 in a school
setting)? (Working means 10 hours or more a week in paid and unpaid positions and includes
your time in this position).
Number of years _____________
5. Counting this year, for how long have you worked in this centre/program, even if your
position within the centre has changed?
 Number of years
_________
6. What is the highest educational qualification you have completed? Please mark only one
option?
 Masters or Doctoral Degree
 Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate (completed after a Bachelor degree)
 Bachelor Degree
 Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree
 Diploma
 Certificate
 Secondary Education
 Other
7.
If you have completed a post-secondary qualification, what is the field of study of
your highest level qualification? Please mark one or more options.
(but do not include in-service training here).







Teaching (early childhood related)
Teaching (primary)
Nursing (including Mothercraft Nursing)
Child Care Certificate – Basic (one year trained)
Child care Certificate/Associate Diploma (2 years trained)
Diploma or Bachelor in Child Care (3 year or more trained)
Other qualifications relevant to the operation of a child care centre eg. Other
Teaching, Accountancy, Psychology, Social Work and Business Management
 None of the above
8.
In the last 12 months, what is your best estimate of the number of hours of
professional development activities (e.g., in-service programs, pupil-free days,
4
seminars, workshops, and conferences, short courses)? Base your estimate on hours of
attendance with one day of participation as equal to 6 hours. MARK ONE ONLY
(but do not include training towards qualifications included in previous question.)






9
Nil
1 to 6 hours (1 days)
7 to 12 hours (2 days)
13 to 18 hours (3 days)
19 to 24 hours (4 days)
More then 25 hours (5 or more days)
Are you currently engaged in a formal course of study for a qualification that will expand
your skills and knowledge in child care or early childhood education (as in Q7 above)?
 No
 Yes (please specify) _________________________________________
Below are a number of statements that characterise work environments. For each statement,
please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement as it applies to
your centre or school. Mark one option for each statement.
Strongly
disagree
Disagree
Neither
Agree
agree nor
disagree
Strongly
agree
10. Staff can rely on colleagues for 1
support and assistance when needed.
2
3
4
5
11. Staff have a clear understanding 1
of their roles and responsibilities.
2
3
4
5
12. Staff are able to contribute to 1
decision-making about policies and
practices in the centre.
13. Staff go about their work with 1
enthusiasm.
2
3
4
5
2
3
4
5
14. My personal philosophy and 1
goals are in agreement with those of
the centre.
15.
The centre environment 1
provides
a
positive
working
environment for staff.
2
3
4
5
2
3
4
5
5
SECTION 4 : PROGRAM AND ENVIRONMENT
The following questions ask you to indicate the answer that best describes your experiences of
providing early childhood education and care. While you may not find an answer that exactly
matches your experience, please choose the number that comes closest to describing how you
feel.
How much of the following describes the work you do with children, on a typical day?
Not at Some
Quite a
Very
all
what
lot
much
1. sitting and playing with children
1
2
3
4
2. singing, telling stories, reading books
1
2
3
4
3. managing problem behaviour
1
2
3
4
4. giving individual attention in routine care
(feeding, toileting, dressing, putting to sleep, etc)
5. organising space, equipment, food and drink
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
6. teaching good health practices (hand washing,
healthy eating, sun protection, etc)
7. active outdoor play (running, ball play, etc)
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
8. watching or supervising children’s play
1
2
3
4
9. participating in children’s pretend play
1
2
3
4
The following questions ask about the program, space, facilities and equipment in centrebased child care services. Please answer each question by marking the box that best
describes the room you work in.
Different programs organise their space in different ways, especially as far as providing
separate spaces for infant-toddler play activities. Which of the following applies to your
centre?
10. Open space is provided for active play
 Occasionally
 For short periods each day
 For about half the day
 All day
11. Soft areas, eg cushions, cosy corners, are provided for quiet play
 Occasionally
 For short periods each day
 For about half the day
6
 All day
Sometimes budgets don’t allow child-care providers to purchase all the toys and materials
they would like. Which best describes your room in terms of educational materials relating to
language development, including cloth and hardpage books, as well as music tapes, puppets,
and picture cards?
12. Books and materials to stimulate language development are available to the children
 Occasionally
 For short periods each day
 For about half the day
 All day
13. The number of books and materials to stimulate language development in the room is
 Less than 1 per child in the room
 At least 1 per child in the room
 2 or more per child in the room
14. On an average day, how many minutes per day does someone read books or sing songs to
the children?
________________ minutes
15. How often do the children watch television or videos?
 Every day
 A few times a week
 A few times a month
 A few times a year or never
When it comes to toys and equipment involving fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination,
such as posting boxes, nesting cups, pop-up toys, or puzzles, which best describes your room?
16. Children have access to this type of equipment
 Occasionally
 For short periods each day
 For about half the day
 All day
When it comes to art activities and creative materials, such as crayons, drawing, play doh,
paint, which of the following statements best describes your room?
17. Children can access art materials
 Occasionally
 For short periods each day
 For about half the day
 All day
7
When it comes to materials for pretend play, such as dolls, prams, cars, home play, and dressups, such as hats or handbags, which best describes your room?
18. Children have access to this type of equipment
 Occasionally
 For short periods each day
 For about half the day
 All day
SECTION 5 : CHILD AND FAMILY FOCUS
The following questions focus on the child and family participating in the Growing Up in
Australia study.
1. How long has the focus child been in your centre/service?
Number of months _________
2 (a) Has the focus child received any additional services to support his/her learning or
development while being in your class group?
[ ] Yes
[ ]
No
2(b) If yes, please specify the nature of any extra services the child has received
_______________________________________
3. During the time that the focus child has been in your group, how often has a parent of the
child had informal discussion with you (e.g. at pick-up or drop-off times)
 Every day
 A few times a week
 A few times a month
 Never
 Not applicable - opportunities not available
SECTION 6: CHILD SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
The following questions focus on the skills and abilities that the child shows in daily
activities.
1. Compared with other children, how old would you say this child now acts?
His/her own age [___] OR ______months
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2(a). Do you have any concerns about this child’s learning, development or behaviour?
 No
 Don't know
 Yes
2 (b) If yes, what are your concerns?
_____________________________________________________
3. Compared to other children, do you think this child is:
 much easier to get on with than average
 easier to get on with than average
 about average
 more difficult to get on with than average
 much more difficult to get on with than average
 cannot say
The following questions relate to the focus child’s language and play skills. Babies learn
language and play skills at different rates, so we would not expect the child to be able to do
all of these things. For each question please tick the box that best describes what the child
can do.
Emotion and Use of Eye Gaze
4
5
6
7
Do you know when the child is happy and
when the child is upset?
When the child plays with toys, does he/she
look at you to see if you are watching?
Does the child smile or laugh while looking
at you?
When you look at and point to a toy across
the room, does the child look at it?
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
9
Use of Communication
8
Does the child let you know that he/she
needs help or wants an object out of reach?
9 When you are not paying attention to the
child, does he/she try to get your attention?
10 Does the child do things just to get you to
laugh?
11 Does the child try to get you to notice
interesting objects-just to get you to look at
the objects, not to get you do anything with
them?
Use of Gestures
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
12 Does the child pick up objects and give them
to you?
13 Does the child show objects to you without
giving you the object?
14 Does the child wave to greet people?
15 Does the child point to objects?
16 Does the child nod his/her head to indicate
yes?
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
Not yet
Sometimes
Often
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Sometimes
Sometimes
Sometimes
Often
Often
Often
Use of Objects
17 Does the child show interest in playing Not yet
with a variety of objects?
18 About how many of the following objects 0
does the child use appropriately: cup,
bottle, bowl, spoon, comb or brush,
toothbrush, washcloth, ball, toy vehicle, toy
telephone?
19 About how many blocks (or rings) does the None
child stack?
20 Does the child pretend to play with toys Not yet
(such as feed a stuffed animal, put a doll to
sleep, put an animal figure in a vehicle)?
Sometimes
Often
1-2
3-4
2
Sometimes
3-4
5-8 9+
5+
Often
Source: Infant/Toddler Checklist :- Amy M. Wetherby & Barry M. Prizant © 2001 by Paul H. Brookes
Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
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SECTION 7: CARER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP
Please reflect on the degree to which each of the following statements currently applies to
your relationship with this child. Mark the appropriate number for each item.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Definitely Not
does not really
apply
I share an affectionate, warm relationship with this 1
2
child.
This child and I always seem to be struggling with 1
2
each other (ie, having a hard time getting along).
If upset, this child will seek comfort from me.
1
2
This child is uncomfortable with physical affection 1
2
or touch from me.
This child reacts strongly to separation from me.
1
2
This child is overly dependent on me.
1
2
This child easily becomes angry at me.
1
2
It is easy to be in tune with what this child is feeling. 1
2
Dealing with this child drains my energy.
1
2
When this child is in a bad mood, I know we're in for 1
2
a long and difficult day.
Despite my best efforts, I'm uncomfortable with how 1
2
this child and I get along
This child whines or cries when he/she wants 1
2
something from me.
My interactions with this child make me feel 1
2
effective and confident.
Neutral, Applies
Definitely
not sure somewhat applies
3
4
5
3
4
5
3
3
4
4
5
5
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
3
4
5
3
4
5
3
4
5
©1992 Pianta, University of Virginia
PLEASE RECORD FINISH TIME |__|__| HRS |__|__| MINS
(Complete next page please)
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CONSENT
You are being asked to take part in Growing Up in Australia, a study being run by the
Australian Institute of Family Studies on behalf of the Australian Government. The data are
being collected by Colmar Brunton Social Research in conjunction with NCS Pearson.
All the information collected will be kept strictly confidential (except where it is required to
be reported by law and/or there is a risk of harm to yourself or others). The findings from the
study will only report group results. No individual information will be released.
Participation in this study is voluntary. You will be free to withdraw from the study at any
time or choose not to take part in some aspects of the study. Please sign below if you agree to
take part at this stage.

 I agree to participate in this study
Child carer
_______________________________
________
Signature
Date
Name of Centre:……………………………………………………….
Address of Centre: ……………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………….
Please record how long it took you to fill in this form.
__ __ (minutes)
Please complete the information below if you have filled in this survey on
behalf of the child’s carer.
Your name: _________________________
Relationship to child’s carer: ______________________________
Reason for filling in this form on behalf of the child’s carer:
___________________________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to fill in this form
If you have any questions or want more information about the study you can contact Colmar
Brunton Social Research on freecall 1800 004 446 and mention the Growing Up in Australia
study.
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