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 Wundowie, accounting for 67.5% (758 people). This share was higher than Northam (S) (63.6%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 745 people, while its share fell by 4.7 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Wundowie - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Wundowie, with comparison markers for Northam (S).

Wundowie
Northam (S)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

257

% of total

22.9%

Change from 2016

-10.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

184

% of total

16.4%

Change from 2016

-0.3pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

70

% of total

6.2%

Change from 2016

+6.2pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

4

% of total

0.4%

Change from 2016

+0.4pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

758

% of total

67.5%

Change from 2016

-4.7pp

Not Stated

2021 count

106

% of total

9.4%

Change from 2016

+9.4pp

Data table

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

Unpaid childcare for Wundowie. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Northam (S).
Unpaid childcare for Wundowie. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Northam (S).
Category20212016Change
Count%Northam (S)%Count%Northam (S)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)25722.9%22.9%633.3%24.3%+251-10.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren18416.4%15.5%316.7%16.3%+181-0.3pp
Cared For Other Child Ren706.2%6.5%00.0%7.1%+70+6.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren40.4%0.8%00.0%0.9%+4+0.4pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided75867.5%63.6%1372.2%60.3%+745-4.7pp
Not Stated1069.4%13.5%00.0%15.4%+106+9.4pp
Total1,123100.0%100.0%18100.0%100.0%+1,1050.0pp