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 Mooroobool, accounting for 67.2% (3,897 people). This share was higher than Cairns (R) (64.8%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 352 people and 5.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Unpaid childcare
Mooroobool - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises unpaid childcare for Mooroobool in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Cairns (R) and change since 2016.
Unpaid childcare snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Mooroobool, with comparison markers for Cairns (R).
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
2021 count
1,489
% of total
25.7%
Change from 2016
-2.3pp
1,489
25.7%
-2.3pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
2021 count
1,022
% of total
17.6%
Change from 2016
-2.3pp
1,022
17.6%
-2.3pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
2021 count
416
% of total
7.2%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
416
7.2%
+0.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
2021 count
48
% of total
0.8%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
48
0.8%
-0.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
2021 count
3,897
% of total
67.2%
Change from 2016
+5.4pp
3,897
67.2%
+5.4pp
Not Stated
2021 count
417
% of total
7.2%
Change from 2016
-3.1pp
417
7.2%
-3.1pp
Chart view
Unpaid childcare change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
-116
-2.3pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
-122
-2.3pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
+17
+0.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
-13
-0.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
+352
+5.4pp
Not Stated
-172
-3.1pp
Data table
Unpaid childcare for Mooroobool. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Cairns (R).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Cairns (R)% | Count | % | Cairns (R)% | Count | pp | |
| Provided Unpaid Child Care (All) | 1,489 | 25.7% | 25.5% | 1,605 | 28.0% | 27.6% | -116 | -2.3pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren | 1,022 | 17.6% | 19.0% | 1,144 | 19.9% | 20.3% | -122 | -2.3pp |
| Cared For Other Child Ren | 416 | 7.2% | 5.6% | 399 | 7.0% | 6.3% | +17 | +0.2pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren | 48 | 0.8% | 0.8% | 61 | 1.1% | 1.0% | -13 | -0.3pp |
| No Unpaid Child Care Provided | 3,897 | 67.2% | 64.8% | 3,545 | 61.8% | 61.5% | +352 | +5.4pp |
| Not Stated | 417 | 7.2% | 9.7% | 589 | 10.3% | 11.0% | -172 | -3.1pp |
| Total | 5,796 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 5,740 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +56 | 0.0pp |