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 Truro (part), accounting for 66.9% (293 people). This share was lower than Mid Murray (DC) (70%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in provided Unpaid Child Care (All), which decreased by 28 people and 6.1 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Truro (part) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Truro (part) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Mid Murray (DC) and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Truro (part), with comparison markers for Mid Murray (DC).

Truro (part)
Mid Murray (DC)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

114

% of total

26.0%

Change from 2016

-6.1pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

75

% of total

17.1%

Change from 2016

-4.8pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

38

% of total

8.7%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

7

% of total

1.6%

Change from 2016

+0.7pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

293

% of total

66.9%

Change from 2016

+4.4pp

Not Stated

2021 count

34

% of total

7.8%

Change from 2016

+1.9pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Truro (part). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Mid Murray (DC).

Unpaid childcare for Truro (part). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Mid Murray (DC).
Unpaid childcare for Truro (part). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Mid Murray (DC).
Category20212016Change
Count%Mid Murray (DC)%Count%Mid Murray (DC)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)11426.0%18.6%14232.1%20.9%-28-6.1pp
Cared For Own Child Ren7517.1%11.9%9721.9%13.4%-22-4.8pp
Cared For Other Child Ren388.7%6.2%429.5%6.9%-4-0.8pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren71.6%0.5%40.9%0.6%+3+0.7pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided29366.9%70.0%27762.5%67.2%+16+4.4pp
Not Stated347.8%11.4%265.9%11.8%+8+1.9pp
Total438100.0%100.0%443100.0%100.0%-50.0pp