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 Blighty, accounting for 47.8% (66 people). This share was lower than Edward River (A) (66.8%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which decreased by 2,812 people and 11.7 percentage points.
Section overview
Unpaid childcare
Blighty - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises unpaid childcare for Blighty in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Edward River (A) and change since 2016.
Unpaid childcare snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Blighty, with comparison markers for Edward River (A).
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
2021 count
48
% of total
34.8%
Change from 2016
-1.9pp
48
34.8%
-1.9pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
2021 count
39
% of total
28.3%
Change from 2016
+0.6pp
39
28.3%
+0.6pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
2021 count
12
% of total
8.7%
Change from 2016
+0.6pp
12
8.7%
+0.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
2021 count
3
% of total
2.2%
Change from 2016
+1.3pp
3
2.2%
+1.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
2021 count
66
% of total
47.8%
Change from 2016
-11.7pp
66
47.8%
-11.7pp
Not Stated
2021 count
16
% of total
11.6%
Change from 2016
+7.9pp
16
11.6%
+7.9pp
Chart view
Unpaid childcare change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
-1,726
-1.9pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
-1,301
+0.6pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
-381
+0.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
-41
+1.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
-2,812
-11.7pp
Not Stated
-165
+7.9pp
Data table
Unpaid childcare for Blighty. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Edward River (A).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Edward River (A)% | Count | % | Edward River (A)% | Count | pp | |
| Provided Unpaid Child Care (All) | 48 | 34.8% | 23.0% | 1,774 | 36.7% | 24.7% | -1,726 | -1.9pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren | 39 | 28.3% | 15.3% | 1,340 | 27.7% | 16.8% | -1,301 | +0.6pp |
| Cared For Other Child Ren | 12 | 8.7% | 6.7% | 393 | 8.1% | 7.4% | -381 | +0.6pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren | 3 | 2.2% | 1.1% | 44 | 0.9% | 0.5% | -41 | +1.3pp |
| No Unpaid Child Care Provided | 66 | 47.8% | 66.8% | 2,878 | 59.5% | 62.9% | -2,812 | -11.7pp |
| Not Stated | 16 | 11.6% | 10.2% | 181 | 3.7% | 12.3% | -165 | +7.9pp |
| Total | 138 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 4,839 | 100.0% | 100.0% | -4,701 | 0.0pp |