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 Niddrie, accounting for 67% (3,246 people). This share was lower than Moonee Valley (C) (70.6%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 3,152 people and 0.8 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Niddrie - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Niddrie in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Moonee Valley (C) and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Niddrie, with comparison markers for Moonee Valley (C).

Niddrie
Moonee Valley (C)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

1,376

% of total

28.4%

Change from 2016

+9.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

1,079

% of total

22.3%

Change from 2016

+11.7pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

279

% of total

5.8%

Change from 2016

+0.2pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

26

% of total

0.5%

Change from 2016

-1.6pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

3,246

% of total

67.0%

Change from 2016

+0.8pp

Not Stated

2021 count

220

% of total

4.5%

Change from 2016

-9.6pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Niddrie. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Moonee Valley (C).

Unpaid childcare for Niddrie. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Moonee Valley (C).
Unpaid childcare for Niddrie. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Moonee Valley (C).
Category20212016Change
Count%Moonee Valley (C)%Count%Moonee Valley (C)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)1,37628.4%25.0%2719.0%26.0%+1,349+9.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren1,07922.3%19.5%1510.6%19.0%+1,064+11.7pp
Cared For Other Child Ren2795.8%5.2%85.6%6.5%+271+0.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren260.5%0.3%32.1%0.5%+23-1.6pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided3,24667.0%70.6%9466.2%66.5%+3,152+0.8pp
Not Stated2204.5%4.4%2014.1%7.5%+200-9.6pp
Total4,845100.0%100.0%142100.0%100.0%+4,7030.0pp