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 Inverell, accounting for 65.4% (9,441 people). This share was lower than Regional NSW (67.1%).

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Inverell - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Inverell in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional NSW and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Inverell, with comparison markers for Regional NSW.

Inverell
Regional NSW

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

3,533

% of total

24.5%

Change from 2016

-

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

2,382

% of total

16.5%

Change from 2016

-

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

1,009

% of total

7.0%

Change from 2016

-

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

141

% of total

1.0%

Change from 2016

-

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

9,441

% of total

65.4%

Change from 2016

-

Not Stated

2021 count

1,451

% of total

10.1%

Change from 2016

-

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Inverell. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.

Unpaid childcare for Inverell. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.
Unpaid childcare for Inverell. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional NSW%Count%Regional NSW%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)3,53324.5%25.6%--27.1%--
Cared For Own Child Ren2,38216.5%18.2%--18.3%--
Cared For Other Child Ren1,0097.0%6.6%--7.9%--
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren1411.0%0.8%--0.8%--
No Unpaid Child Care Provided9,44165.4%67.1%--63.3%--
Not Stated1,45110.1%7.4%--9.6%--
Total14,430100.0%100.0%--100.0%--