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 Mornington (S), accounting for 55.8% (434 people). This share was lower than Regional Qld (66.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren, which decreased by 102 people and 12.8 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Mornington (S) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Mornington (S), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.

Mornington (S)
Regional Qld

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

258

% of total

33.2%

Change from 2016

-9.3pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

190

% of total

24.4%

Change from 2016

+12.0pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

55

% of total

7.1%

Change from 2016

-7.3pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

13

% of total

1.7%

Change from 2016

-12.8pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

434

% of total

55.8%

Change from 2016

+10.8pp

Not Stated

2021 count

88

% of total

11.3%

Change from 2016

-1.4pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Mornington (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.

Unpaid childcare for Mornington (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
Unpaid childcare for Mornington (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional Qld%Count%Regional Qld%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)25833.2%25.4%33742.5%27.2%-79-9.3pp
Cared For Own Child Ren19024.4%18.7%9812.4%19.6%+92+12.0pp
Cared For Other Child Ren557.1%6.0%11414.4%6.8%-59-7.3pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren131.7%0.8%11514.5%0.8%-102-12.8pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided43455.8%66.2%35745.0%62.9%+77+10.8pp
Not Stated8811.3%8.4%10112.7%9.9%-13-1.4pp
Total778100.0%100.0%793100.0%100.0%-150.0pp