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 Fairfield (C), accounting for 74.1% (126,894 people). This share was higher than Greater Sydney (68.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 13,214 people and 3.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Unpaid childcare
Fairfield (C) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises unpaid childcare for Fairfield (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Sydney and change since 2016.
Unpaid childcare snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Fairfield (C), with comparison markers for Greater Sydney.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
2021 count
31,945
% of total
18.7%
Change from 2016
-4.2pp
31,945
18.7%
-4.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
2021 count
26,647
% of total
15.6%
Change from 2016
-1.4pp
26,647
15.6%
-1.4pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
2021 count
4,966
% of total
2.9%
Change from 2016
-2.7pp
4,966
2.9%
-2.7pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
2021 count
330
% of total
0.2%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
330
0.2%
-0.2pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
2021 count
126,894
% of total
74.1%
Change from 2016
+3.4pp
126,894
74.1%
+3.4pp
Not Stated
2021 count
12,388
% of total
7.2%
Change from 2016
+0.8pp
12,388
7.2%
+0.8pp
Chart view
Unpaid childcare change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
-4,927
-4.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
-626
-1.4pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
-4,038
-2.7pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
-263
-0.2pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
+13,214
+3.4pp
Not Stated
+2,059
+0.8pp
Data table
Unpaid childcare for Fairfield (C). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | pp | |
| Provided Unpaid Child Care (All) | 31,945 | 18.7% | 25.2% | 36,872 | 22.9% | 27.3% | -4,927 | -4.2pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren | 26,647 | 15.6% | 21.3% | 27,273 | 17.0% | 20.3% | -626 | -1.4pp |
| Cared For Other Child Ren | 4,966 | 2.9% | 3.6% | 9,004 | 5.6% | 6.4% | -4,038 | -2.7pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren | 330 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 593 | 0.4% | 0.6% | -263 | -0.2pp |
| No Unpaid Child Care Provided | 126,894 | 74.1% | 68.9% | 113,680 | 70.7% | 65.2% | +13,214 | +3.4pp |
| Not Stated | 12,388 | 7.2% | 5.9% | 10,329 | 6.4% | 7.5% | +2,059 | +0.8pp |
| Total | 171,228 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 160,880 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +10,348 | 0.0pp |