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 Cranbrook (S), accounting for 64.6% (570 people). This share was higher than Regional WA (62.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 14 people and 1.6 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Cranbrook (S) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Cranbrook (S), with comparison markers for Regional WA.

Cranbrook (S)
Regional WA

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

215

% of total

24.4%

Change from 2016

-0.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

163

% of total

18.5%

Change from 2016

0.0pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

41

% of total

4.6%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

11

% of total

1.2%

Change from 2016

-1.2pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

570

% of total

64.6%

Change from 2016

+1.6pp

Not Stated

2021 count

97

% of total

11.0%

Change from 2016

-1.6pp

Data table

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

Unpaid childcare for Cranbrook (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Unpaid childcare for Cranbrook (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional WA%Count%Regional WA%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)21524.4%26.4%21924.8%27.7%-4-0.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren16318.5%18.7%16318.5%20.0%00.0pp
Cared For Other Child Ren414.6%6.5%404.5%6.7%+1+0.1pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren111.2%1.2%212.4%1.0%-10-1.2pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided57064.6%62.2%55663.0%60.0%+14+1.6pp
Not Stated9711.0%11.4%11112.6%12.3%-14-1.6pp
Total882100.0%100.0%882100.0%100.0%00.0pp