Kids go to day care rather than relatives

Australian kids are increasingly attending day care instead of being looked after by relatives, a national report card has found.

Nearly half (or 1.8 million) of Australian children aged between 0 and 12 attended formal or informal care in 2014.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has confirmed a significant swing towards formal care, including day and before- or after-school care over the past 15 years.

Between 1999 and 2014, the proportion of children aged 0-4 who attended formal care grew from 27 to 37 per cent, according to a report released on Thursday.

Over the same period, those who received informal care fell from 43 to 30 per cent, with grandparents the most common source.

Meanwhile, the proportion of children aged 0 - 4 who attended long day care almost doubled from 18 to 31 per cent.

The AIHW report found more than 162,000 Australian kids aged up to 17 received child protection services in 2015-16.

More than 55,600 were in out-of-home care, increasing 11 per cent in three years.

The report also tracked a steady decline in young people under youth justice supervision.