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.

Key insight

In 2021, not providing unpaid child care was the most common response among residents aged 15 and over in Broome, accounting for 58.5% (1,784 people). This share was higher than Broome (S) (56.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in cared For Own Child Ren, which decreased by 90 people and 2.1 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Broome - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Broome in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Broome (S) and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Broome, with comparison markers for Broome (S).

Broome
Broome (S)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

601

% of total

19.7%

Change from 2016

-1.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

403

% of total

13.2%

Change from 2016

-2.1pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

166

% of total

5.4%

Change from 2016

+0.5pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

31

% of total

1.0%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

1,784

% of total

58.5%

Change from 2016

+1.1pp

Not Stated

2021 count

675

% of total

22.1%

Change from 2016

+0.7pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Broome. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Broome (S).

Unpaid childcare for Broome. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Broome (S).
Unpaid childcare for Broome. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Broome (S).
Category20212016Change
Count%Broome (S)%Count%Broome (S)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)60119.7%27.3%68121.1%28.1%-80-1.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren40313.2%19.7%49315.3%20.3%-90-2.1pp
Cared For Other Child Ren1665.4%6.1%1574.9%6.3%+9+0.5pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren311.0%1.5%290.9%1.5%+2+0.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided1,78458.5%56.4%1,85357.4%57.3%-69+1.1pp
Not Stated67522.1%16.2%69121.4%14.7%-16+0.7pp
Total3,052100.0%100.0%3,226100.0%100.0%-1740.0pp