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 Nangeenan, accounting for 45.8% (27 people). This share was lower than Merredin (S) (63%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in provided Unpaid Child Care (All), which increased by 8 people and 10.4 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Nangeenan - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Nangeenan, with comparison markers for Merredin (S).

Nangeenan
Merredin (S)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

20

% of total

33.9%

Change from 2016

+10.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

7

% of total

11.9%

Change from 2016

-1.8pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

3

% of total

5.1%

Change from 2016

-8.6pp

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

27

% of total

45.8%

Change from 2016

-13.0pp

Not Stated

2021 count

19

% of total

32.2%

Change from 2016

+24.4pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Nangeenan. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Merredin (S).

Unpaid childcare for Nangeenan. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Merredin (S).
Unpaid childcare for Nangeenan. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Merredin (S).
Category20212016Change
Count%Merredin (S)%Count%Merredin (S)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)2033.9%24.6%1223.5%24.5%+8+10.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren711.9%17.3%713.7%18.0%0-1.8pp
Cared For Other Child Ren35.1%6.3%713.7%5.6%-4-8.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren00.0%0.9%00.0%1.1%00.0pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided2745.8%63.0%3058.8%65.1%-3-13.0pp
Not Stated1932.2%12.5%47.8%10.3%+15+24.4pp
Total59100.0%100.0%51100.0%100.0%+80.0pp