Employment
Unpaid childcare
About this topic
Unpaid childcare records whether people aged 15 years and over spent time looking after a child without pay, including their own children and other people's children. It reflects the role of parents, grandparents, extended family, and community networks in caring for children.
This topic helps show how childcare is supported outside the paid care sector and can highlight the role of family-based care. It is best interpreted with household type, employment, and income, because unpaid childcare patterns are shaped by family structure, work arrangements, and access to formal childcare.
Interpretation notes
- This records unpaid childcare in the previous two weeks for people aged 15 years and over, including care for a person's own children and other children.
- It identifies whether childcare was provided, not the number of hours or whether care was regular, occasional, or shared with formal services.
Related topics
Key insight
In 2021, not providing unpaid child care was the most common response among residents aged 15 and over in Blacktown (C), accounting for 64.1% (196,540 people). This share was lower than Greater Sydney (68.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 35,246 people and 2.1 percentage points.
Section overview
Unpaid childcare
Blacktown (C) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises unpaid childcare for Blacktown (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Sydney and change since 2016.
Unpaid childcare snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Blacktown (C), with comparison markers for Greater Sydney.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
2021 count
89,782
% of total
29.3%
Change from 2016
-1.8pp
89,782
29.3%
-1.8pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
2021 count
77,555
% of total
25.3%
Change from 2016
+1.5pp
77,555
25.3%
+1.5pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
2021 count
11,174
% of total
3.6%
Change from 2016
-3.0pp
11,174
3.6%
-3.0pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
2021 count
1,056
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
1,056
0.3%
-0.4pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
2021 count
196,540
% of total
64.1%
Change from 2016
+2.1pp
196,540
64.1%
+2.1pp
Not Stated
2021 count
20,326
% of total
6.6%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
20,326
6.6%
-0.4pp
Chart view
Unpaid childcare change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
+8,880
-1.8pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
+15,603
+1.5pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
-5,942
-3.0pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
-780
-0.4pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
+35,246
+2.1pp
Not Stated
+2,218
-0.4pp
Data table
Unpaid childcare for Blacktown (C). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | pp | |
| Provided Unpaid Child Care (All) | 89,782 | 29.3% | 25.2% | 80,902 | 31.1% | 27.3% | +8,880 | -1.8pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren | 77,555 | 25.3% | 21.3% | 61,952 | 23.8% | 20.3% | +15,603 | +1.5pp |
| Cared For Other Child Ren | 11,174 | 3.6% | 3.6% | 17,116 | 6.6% | 6.4% | -5,942 | -3.0pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren | 1,056 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1,836 | 0.7% | 0.6% | -780 | -0.4pp |
| No Unpaid Child Care Provided | 196,540 | 64.1% | 68.9% | 161,294 | 62.0% | 65.2% | +35,246 | +2.1pp |
| Not Stated | 20,326 | 6.6% | 5.9% | 18,108 | 7.0% | 7.5% | +2,218 | -0.4pp |
| Total | 306,652 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 260,306 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +46,346 | 0.0pp |