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 Cardinia (S), accounting for 61.7% (56,383 people). This share was lower than Greater Melbourne (68.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 14,057 people and 3.2 percentage points.
Section overview
Unpaid childcare
Cardinia (S) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises unpaid childcare for Cardinia (S) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Melbourne and change since 2016.
Unpaid childcare snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Cardinia (S), with comparison markers for Greater Melbourne.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
2021 count
29,823
% of total
32.6%
Change from 2016
-1.6pp
29,823
32.6%
-1.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
2021 count
23,454
% of total
25.7%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
23,454
25.7%
+0.2pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
2021 count
5,616
% of total
6.1%
Change from 2016
-1.5pp
5,616
6.1%
-1.5pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
2021 count
757
% of total
0.8%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
757
0.8%
-0.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
2021 count
56,383
% of total
61.7%
Change from 2016
+3.2pp
56,383
61.7%
+3.2pp
Not Stated
2021 count
5,215
% of total
5.7%
Change from 2016
-1.7pp
5,215
5.7%
-1.7pp
Chart view
Unpaid childcare change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
+5,089
-1.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
+5,023
+0.2pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
+97
-1.5pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
-26
-0.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
+14,057
+3.2pp
Not Stated
-131
-1.7pp
Data table
Unpaid childcare for Cardinia (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Melbourne.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | pp | |
| Provided Unpaid Child Care (All) | 29,823 | 32.6% | 26.5% | 24,734 | 34.2% | 27.5% | +5,089 | -1.6pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren | 23,454 | 25.7% | 20.9% | 18,431 | 25.5% | 20.3% | +5,023 | +0.2pp |
| Cared For Other Child Ren | 5,616 | 6.1% | 5.2% | 5,519 | 7.6% | 6.5% | +97 | -1.5pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren | 757 | 0.8% | 0.5% | 783 | 1.1% | 0.7% | -26 | -0.3pp |
| No Unpaid Child Care Provided | 56,383 | 61.7% | 68.1% | 42,326 | 58.5% | 65.2% | +14,057 | +3.2pp |
| Not Stated | 5,215 | 5.7% | 5.4% | 5,346 | 7.4% | 7.3% | -131 | -1.7pp |
| Total | 91,426 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 72,402 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +19,024 | 0.0pp |