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, provided Unpaid Child Care (All) was the most common response among residents aged 15 and over in Wittenoom Hills, accounting for 35.7% (5 people). This share was higher than Esperance (S) (25.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which decreased by 7 people and 41.1 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Wittenoom Hills - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Wittenoom Hills in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Esperance (S) and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Wittenoom Hills, with comparison markers for Esperance (S).

Wittenoom Hills
Esperance (S)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

5

% of total

35.7%

Change from 2016

+35.7pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

3

% of total

21.4%

Change from 2016

+21.4pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

4

% of total

28.6%

Change from 2016

+28.6pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

0

% of total

0.0%

Change from 2016

0.0pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

3

% of total

21.4%

Change from 2016

-41.1pp

Not Stated

2021 count

0

% of total

0.0%

Change from 2016

-25.0pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Wittenoom Hills. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Esperance (S).

Unpaid childcare for Wittenoom Hills. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Esperance (S).
Unpaid childcare for Wittenoom Hills. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Esperance (S).
Category20212016Change
Count%Esperance (S)%Count%Esperance (S)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)535.7%25.9%00.0%26.6%+5+35.7pp
Cared For Own Child Ren321.4%18.2%00.0%18.8%+3+21.4pp
Cared For Other Child Ren428.6%6.6%00.0%6.8%+4+28.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren00.0%1.1%00.0%1.1%00.0pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided321.4%62.9%1062.5%59.6%-7-41.1pp
Not Stated00.0%11.2%425.0%13.7%-4-25.0pp
Total14100.0%100.0%16100.0%100.0%-20.0pp