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 Kwinana (C), accounting for 58.7% (20,821 people). This share was lower than Greater Perth (65%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 3,627 people and 1.8 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Kwinana (C) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Kwinana (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Perth and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Kwinana (C), with comparison markers for Greater Perth.

Kwinana (C)
Greater Perth

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

11,371

% of total

32.1%

Change from 2016

+0.9pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

8,735

% of total

24.6%

Change from 2016

+0.9pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

2,247

% of total

6.3%

Change from 2016

-0.3pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

391

% of total

1.1%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

20,821

% of total

58.7%

Change from 2016

+1.8pp

Not Stated

2021 count

3,261

% of total

9.2%

Change from 2016

-2.8pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Kwinana (C). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Perth.

Unpaid childcare for Kwinana (C). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Perth.
Unpaid childcare for Kwinana (C). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Perth.
Category20212016Change
Count%Greater Perth%Count%Greater Perth%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)11,37132.1%29.1%9,42331.2%28.7%+1,948+0.9pp
Cared For Own Child Ren8,73524.6%21.0%7,15223.7%20.9%+1,583+0.9pp
Cared For Other Child Ren2,2476.3%7.3%1,9816.6%7.1%+266-0.3pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren3911.1%0.9%2941.0%0.8%+97+0.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided20,82158.7%65.0%17,19456.9%63.2%+3,627+1.8pp
Not Stated3,2619.2%5.8%3,61512.0%8.0%-354-2.8pp
Total35,457100.0%100.0%30,236100.0%100.0%+5,2210.0pp