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 Sampson Flat, accounting for 64.1% (75 people). This share was lower than Playford (C) (64.6%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which decreased by 1,260 people and 0.8 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Sampson Flat - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Sampson Flat in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Playford (C) and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Sampson Flat, with comparison markers for Playford (C).

Sampson Flat
Playford (C)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

34

% of total

29.1%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

27

% of total

23.1%

Change from 2016

+3.2pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

5

% of total

4.3%

Change from 2016

-4.9pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

0

% of total

0.0%

Change from 2016

-0.9pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

75

% of total

64.1%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

Not Stated

2021 count

6

% of total

5.1%

Change from 2016

0.0pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Sampson Flat. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Playford (C).

Unpaid childcare for Sampson Flat. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Playford (C).
Unpaid childcare for Sampson Flat. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Playford (C).
Category20212016Change
Count%Playford (C)%Count%Playford (C)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)3429.1%28.9%61529.9%30.1%-581-0.8pp
Cared For Own Child Ren2723.1%21.2%41019.9%21.6%-383+3.2pp
Cared For Other Child Ren54.3%6.7%1909.2%7.5%-185-4.9pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren00.0%1.1%190.9%1.0%-19-0.9pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided7564.1%64.6%1,33564.9%61.4%-1,260-0.8pp
Not Stated65.1%6.5%1055.1%8.5%-990.0pp
Total117100.0%100.0%2,056100.0%100.0%-1,9390.0pp