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 Burdekin (S), accounting for 67.3% (9,379 people). This share was higher than Regional Qld (66.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in provided Unpaid Child Care (All), which decreased by 474 people and 3.2 percentage points.
Section overview
Unpaid childcare
Burdekin (S) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises unpaid childcare for Burdekin (S) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Unpaid childcare snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Burdekin (S), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
2021 count
3,128
% of total
22.5%
Change from 2016
-3.2pp
3,128
22.5%
-3.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
2021 count
2,147
% of total
15.4%
Change from 2016
-2.2pp
2,147
15.4%
-2.2pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
2021 count
907
% of total
6.5%
Change from 2016
-1.1pp
907
6.5%
-1.1pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
2021 count
76
% of total
0.5%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
76
0.5%
+0.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
2021 count
9,379
% of total
67.3%
Change from 2016
+3.0pp
9,379
67.3%
+3.0pp
Not Stated
2021 count
1,419
% of total
10.2%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
1,419
10.2%
+0.2pp
Chart view
Unpaid childcare change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
-474
-3.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
-327
-2.2pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
-166
-1.1pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
+21
+0.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
+349
+3.0pp
Not Stated
+14
+0.2pp
Data table
Unpaid childcare for Burdekin (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| Provided Unpaid Child Care (All) | 3,128 | 22.5% | 25.4% | 3,602 | 25.7% | 27.2% | -474 | -3.2pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren | 2,147 | 15.4% | 18.7% | 2,474 | 17.6% | 19.6% | -327 | -2.2pp |
| Cared For Other Child Ren | 907 | 6.5% | 6.0% | 1,073 | 7.6% | 6.8% | -166 | -1.1pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren | 76 | 0.5% | 0.8% | 55 | 0.4% | 0.8% | +21 | +0.1pp |
| No Unpaid Child Care Provided | 9,379 | 67.3% | 66.2% | 9,030 | 64.3% | 62.9% | +349 | +3.0pp |
| Not Stated | 1,419 | 10.2% | 8.4% | 1,405 | 10.0% | 9.9% | +14 | +0.2pp |
| Total | 13,927 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 14,039 | 100.0% | 100.0% | -112 | 0.0pp |