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 Lagoon Grass, accounting for 46.3% (19 people). This share was higher than Lismore (C) (25.3%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which decreased by 19 people and 42.1 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Lagoon Grass - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

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

Lagoon Grass
Lismore (C)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

19

% of total

46.3%

Change from 2016

+23.0pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

9

% of total

22.0%

Change from 2016

+12.7pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

7

% of total

17.1%

Change from 2016

+17.1pp

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

19

% of total

46.3%

Change from 2016

-42.1pp

Not Stated

2021 count

4

% of total

9.8%

Change from 2016

+9.8pp

Data table

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

Unpaid childcare for Lagoon Grass. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Lismore (C).
Unpaid childcare for Lagoon Grass. 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)1946.3%25.3%1023.3%26.4%+9+23.0pp
Cared For Own Child Ren922.0%17.5%49.3%17.8%+5+12.7pp
Cared For Other Child Ren717.1%6.9%00.0%7.6%+7+17.1pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren00.0%0.9%00.0%1.1%00.0pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided1946.3%66.8%3888.4%63.7%-19-42.1pp
Not Stated49.8%7.9%00.0%9.9%+4+9.8pp
Total41100.0%100.0%43100.0%100.0%-20.0pp