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 Mapoon (S), accounting for 42.4% (131 people). This share was higher than Regional Qld (25.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in provided Unpaid Child Care (All), which increased by 56 people and 8.9 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Mapoon (S) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Mapoon (S) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Mapoon (S), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.

Mapoon (S)
Regional Qld

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

131

% of total

42.4%

Change from 2016

+8.9pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

52

% of total

16.8%

Change from 2016

-0.2pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

33

% of total

10.7%

Change from 2016

-4.5pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

44

% of total

14.2%

Change from 2016

+14.2pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

119

% of total

38.5%

Change from 2016

-19.5pp

Not Stated

2021 count

56

% of total

18.1%

Change from 2016

+9.6pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Mapoon (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.

Unpaid childcare for Mapoon (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
Unpaid childcare for Mapoon (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional Qld%Count%Regional Qld%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)13142.4%25.4%7533.5%27.2%+56+8.9pp
Cared For Own Child Ren5216.8%18.7%3817.0%19.6%+14-0.2pp
Cared For Other Child Ren3310.7%6.0%3415.2%6.8%-1-4.5pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren4414.2%0.8%00.0%0.8%+44+14.2pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided11938.5%66.2%13058.0%62.9%-11-19.5pp
Not Stated5618.1%8.4%198.5%9.9%+37+9.6pp
Total309100.0%100.0%224100.0%100.0%+850.0pp