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 Monash (C), accounting for 70.6% (113,612 people). This share was higher than Greater Melbourne (68.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 7,897 people and 1.8 percentage points.
Section overview
Unpaid childcare
Monash (C) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises unpaid childcare for Monash (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Melbourne and change since 2016.
Chart view
Unpaid childcare snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Monash (C), with comparison markers for Greater Melbourne.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
2021 count
39,237
% of total
24.4%
Change from 2016
-1.0pp
39,237
24.4%
-1.0pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
2021 count
31,317
% of total
19.5%
Change from 2016
+0.8pp
31,317
19.5%
+0.8pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
2021 count
7,521
% of total
4.7%
Change from 2016
-1.6pp
7,521
4.7%
-1.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
2021 count
398
% of total
0.2%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
398
0.2%
-0.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
2021 count
113,612
% of total
70.6%
Change from 2016
+1.8pp
113,612
70.6%
+1.8pp
Not Stated
2021 count
7,961
% of total
5.0%
Change from 2016
-0.8pp
7,961
5.0%
-0.8pp
Unpaid childcare change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)
+181
-1.0pp
Cared For Own Child Ren
+2,588
+0.8pp
Cared For Other Child Ren
-2,093
-1.6pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren
-318
-0.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided
+7,897
+1.8pp
Not Stated
-983
-0.8pp
Data table
Unpaid childcare for Monash (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) | 39,237 | 24.4% | 26.5% | 39,056 | 25.4% | 27.5% | +181 | -1.0pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren | 31,317 | 19.5% | 20.9% | 28,729 | 18.7% | 20.3% | +2,588 | +0.8pp |
| Cared For Other Child Ren | 7,521 | 4.7% | 5.2% | 9,614 | 6.3% | 6.5% | -2,093 | -1.6pp |
| Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren | 398 | 0.2% | 0.5% | 716 | 0.5% | 0.7% | -318 | -0.3pp |
| No Unpaid Child Care Provided | 113,612 | 70.6% | 68.1% | 105,715 | 68.8% | 65.2% | +7,897 | +1.8pp |
| Not Stated | 7,961 | 5.0% | 5.4% | 8,944 | 5.8% | 7.3% | -983 | -0.8pp |
| Total | 160,818 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 153,720 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +7,098 | 0.0pp |