| ABS | Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| ACT | Australian Capital Territory |
| AIHW | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
| ARIA | Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia |
| ASGS | Australian Statistical Geography Standard |
| Aust. | Australia |
| CBDC | Centre based day care (previously Long Day Care) |
| CCB | Child Care Benefit |
| CCMS | Child Care Management System |
| CCR | Child Care Rebate (formerly known as Child Care Tax Rebate: CCTR) |
| CCS | Child Care Subsidy (previously Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate) |
| CCSS | Child Care Subsidy System |
| CoAG | Council of Australian Governments |
| ECE | Early Childhood Education |
| ECEC | Early Childhood Education and Care |
| ECEC NMDS | Early Childhood Education and Care National Minimum Data Set |
| ECEP | Early Childhood Education Program |
| ERP | Estimated Resident Population |
| LDC | Long Day Care |
| NECECC | National Early Childhood Education and Care Collection |
| NIRA | National Indigenous Reform Agreement |
| NIRS | National Information and Referral Service |
| NP UAECE | National Partnership Agreement on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education |
| NSSC | National Schools Statistics Collection |
| NSW | New South Wales |
| NT | Northern Territory |
| Qld | Queensland |
| RA | Remoteness Area |
| RoGS | Report on Government Services |
| SA | South Australia |
| SA1 | Statistical Area Level 1 |
| SA2 | Statistical Area Level 2 |
| SEIFA | Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas |
| SEIFA IRSD | Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage |
| Tas. | Tasmania |
| URL | unit record level |
| Vic. | Victoria |
| WA | Western Australia |
| YBFS | year before full-time schooling |