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.
Related topics
Key insight
In 2021, not providing unpaid child care was the most common response among residents aged 15 and over in Melton (C), accounting for 60.3% (81,623 people). This share was lower than Greater Melbourne (68.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 22,496 people and 2.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Unpaid childcare
Melton (C) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises unpaid childcare for Melton (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Melbourne and change since 2016.
Unpaid childcare snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Melton (C), with comparison markers for Greater Melbourne.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
2021 count
43,624
% of total
32.2%
Change from 2016
-1.5pp
43,624
32.2%
-1.5pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
2021 count
36,108
% of total
26.7%
Change from 2016
+0.3pp
36,108
26.7%
+0.3pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
2021 count
6,746
% of total
5.0%
Change from 2016
-1.6pp
6,746
5.0%
-1.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
2021 count
766
% of total
0.6%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
766
0.6%
-0.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
2021 count
81,623
% of total
60.3%
Change from 2016
+2.4pp
81,623
60.3%
+2.4pp
Not Stated
2021 count
10,128
% of total
7.5%
Change from 2016
-0.9pp
10,128
7.5%
-0.9pp
Chart view
Unpaid childcare change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
+9,198
-1.5pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
+9,153
+0.3pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
+34
-1.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
+7
-0.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
+22,496
+2.4pp
Not Stated
+1,588
-0.9pp
Data table
Unpaid childcare for Melton (C). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Melbourne.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | pp | |
| Provided Unpaid Child Care (All) | 43,624 | 32.2% | 26.5% | 34,426 | 33.7% | 27.5% | +9,198 | -1.5pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren | 36,108 | 26.7% | 20.9% | 26,955 | 26.4% | 20.3% | +9,153 | +0.3pp |
| Cared For Other Child Ren | 6,746 | 5.0% | 5.2% | 6,712 | 6.6% | 6.5% | +34 | -1.6pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren | 766 | 0.6% | 0.5% | 759 | 0.7% | 0.7% | +7 | -0.1pp |
| No Unpaid Child Care Provided | 81,623 | 60.3% | 68.1% | 59,127 | 57.9% | 65.2% | +22,496 | +2.4pp |
| Not Stated | 10,128 | 7.5% | 5.4% | 8,540 | 8.4% | 7.3% | +1,588 | -0.9pp |
| Total | 135,368 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 102,097 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +33,271 | 0.0pp |