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 Aldinga Beach, accounting for 62.7% (5,290 people). This share was lower than Onkaparinga (C) (66.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 875 people and 7.5 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Aldinga Beach - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Aldinga Beach in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Onkaparinga (C) and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Aldinga Beach, with comparison markers for Onkaparinga (C).

Aldinga Beach
Onkaparinga (C)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

2,674

% of total

31.7%

Change from 2016

-4.1pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

1,936

% of total

22.9%

Change from 2016

-2.5pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

631

% of total

7.5%

Change from 2016

-1.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

109

% of total

1.3%

Change from 2016

-0.2pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

5,290

% of total

62.7%

Change from 2016

+7.5pp

Not Stated

2021 count

476

% of total

5.6%

Change from 2016

-3.5pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Aldinga Beach. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Onkaparinga (C).

Unpaid childcare for Aldinga Beach. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Onkaparinga (C).
Unpaid childcare for Aldinga Beach. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Onkaparinga (C).
Category20212016Change
Count%Onkaparinga (C)%Count%Onkaparinga (C)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)2,67431.7%29.4%2,86635.8%30.8%-192-4.1pp
Cared For Own Child Ren1,93622.9%19.8%2,03125.4%20.4%-95-2.5pp
Cared For Other Child Ren6317.5%8.5%7128.9%9.3%-81-1.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren1091.3%1.0%1211.5%1.0%-12-0.2pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided5,29062.7%66.1%4,41555.2%62.8%+875+7.5pp
Not Stated4765.6%4.5%7259.1%6.5%-249-3.5pp
Total8,442100.0%100.0%7,999100.0%100.0%+4430.0pp