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 Caniaba, accounting for 57.7% (365 people). This share was lower than Lismore (C) (66.8%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 344 people, while its share fell by 17.3 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Caniaba - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Caniaba, with comparison markers for Lismore (C).

Caniaba
Lismore (C)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

212

% of total

33.5%

Change from 2016

+33.5pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

148

% of total

23.4%

Change from 2016

+23.4pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

52

% of total

8.2%

Change from 2016

+8.2pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

10

% of total

1.6%

Change from 2016

+1.6pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

365

% of total

57.7%

Change from 2016

-17.3pp

Not Stated

2021 count

52

% of total

8.2%

Change from 2016

-9.7pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Caniaba. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Lismore (C).

Unpaid childcare for Caniaba. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Lismore (C).
Unpaid childcare for Caniaba. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Lismore (C).
Category20212016Change
Count%Lismore (C)%Count%Lismore (C)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)21233.5%25.3%00.0%26.4%+212+33.5pp
Cared For Own Child Ren14823.4%17.5%00.0%17.8%+148+23.4pp
Cared For Other Child Ren528.2%6.9%00.0%7.6%+52+8.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren101.6%0.9%00.0%1.1%+10+1.6pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided36557.7%66.8%2175.0%63.7%+344-17.3pp
Not Stated528.2%7.9%517.9%9.9%+47-9.7pp
Total633100.0%100.0%28100.0%100.0%+6050.0pp