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 Dungog, accounting for 72.7% (1,229 people). This share was higher than Dungog (A) (66.5%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 181 people and 11 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Dungog - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Dungog, with comparison markers for Dungog (A).

Dungog
Dungog (A)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

390

% of total

23.1%

Change from 2016

-3.0pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

244

% of total

14.4%

Change from 2016

-1.0pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

124

% of total

7.3%

Change from 2016

-2.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

20

% of total

1.2%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

1,229

% of total

72.7%

Change from 2016

+11.0pp

Not Stated

2021 count

71

% of total

4.2%

Change from 2016

-8.3pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Dungog. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Dungog (A).

Unpaid childcare for Dungog. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Dungog (A).
Unpaid childcare for Dungog. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Dungog (A).
Category20212016Change
Count%Dungog (A)%Count%Dungog (A)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)39023.1%28.3%44426.1%28.6%-54-3.0pp
Cared For Own Child Ren24414.4%19.7%26115.4%18.6%-17-1.0pp
Cared For Other Child Ren1247.3%7.8%1649.7%9.3%-40-2.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren201.2%0.8%191.1%0.8%+1+0.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided1,22972.7%66.5%1,04861.7%61.6%+181+11.0pp
Not Stated714.2%5.2%21212.5%9.8%-141-8.3pp
Total1,690100.0%100.0%1,699100.0%100.0%-90.0pp