AEDC – Grants

The AEDC Tasmanian Grants provide funding for local initiatives that support children and families during the vital early years of development.

These grants are designed to build on what’s already working well in communities but also meet the needs of children with ‘developmental vulnerability’ within the local community.

Funded programs help turn AEDC data into meaningful action by:

  • Supporting children’s learning, health and wellbeing
  • Strengthening community‑based early years responses
  • Raising awareness of the AEDC among early years professionals
  • Increasing the use of AEDC data to inform planning and practice

Who can apply?

Organisations working with children from conception to eight years can apply, including:

  • Schools
  • Early Childhood Education and Care providers
  • Libraries
  • Local Government
  • Health organisations
  • Community‑based organisations
  • Child and Family Learning Centres (CFLCs)

Key Dates

Grants for 2026-27 will open soon.

  • Applications open: 8 April 2026
  • Applications close: 18 May 2026

How to Apply

Step 1: Watch the pre‑recorded webinars:

Step 2: Read the Grant Guidelines

Step 3: Submit your application through SmartyGrants link. This will be available when grants open on 8 April.

AEDC – 2024 National Report and Data

AEDC national Report
AEDC 2024 data
AEDC 2024 Key findings

AEDC – What is it?

The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is a national collection of information.

This measures how children are developing in their first year of full-time school.

The 2024 AEDC is the sixth national collection since 2009.

The next collection will be in 2027.

Teachers in Tasmania completed comprehensive questionnaires for more than 6,400 Prep students across the state.

The AEDC assesses children as being developmentally ‘on track’, ‘at risk’ or ‘vulnerable’ across five key developmental domains:

  • physical health and wellbeing
  • social competence
  • emotional maturity
  • language and cognitive skills
  • communication skills and general knowledge.

Introduction to the AEDC

Introduction to the AEDC – video transcript

Understanding the Data

Understanding the Data – video transcript

AEDC – For Teachers and Schools

The AEDC is the most comprehensive data collection of its kind in the world and Australia’s only census of children in their early years.

The AEDC data can help schools to:

  • plan and support children’s successful transition to school
  • raise awareness of the importance of children’s early years
  • implement programs and services for children in the community to support early child development
  • act as a platform to forge collaborative community partnerships

Resources

AEDC – For Early Childhood Educators

The AEDC provides educators across sectors with a common language to understand and discuss what is working well in their community and where families may need support to ensure that their children are on-track during the early years.

Evidence from the AEDC can be used to support policy and practice in early childhood education.

The five AEDC domains provide an insight at a community level into the learning and development needs of young children.

The AEDC is also a useful predictor of future development and learning, indicating how well early childhood education programs have prepared them for future learning experiences.

Video explaining how the AEDC links with NQS and EYLF

Video explaining how the AEDC can inform your planning.

Supporting your children’s development using the AEDC domains

Below is an example of how the AEDC has been used by Early Childcare Educators

AEDC – Resources

Michael Dempsey and Jodi Upton talk about the positive results from the 2018 AEDC collection for Tasmania, also the programs and initiatives that families and community members can engage in to support children’s learning and development.  (ABC Drive, Thursday 28 March, 2019, 11:55 mins)

On this page
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  1. AEDC – Grants
  2. AEDC – 2024 National Report and Data
  3. AEDC – What is it?
  4. AEDC – For Teachers and Schools
  5. AEDC - For Early Childhood Educators
  6. AEDC - Resources

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