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 Tumby Bay (DC), accounting for 66.9% (1,564 people). This share was lower than Regional SA (67.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 164 people and 2.4 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Tumby Bay (DC) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Tumby Bay (DC) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional SA and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Tumby Bay (DC), with comparison markers for Regional SA.

Tumby Bay (DC)
Regional SA

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

603

% of total

25.8%

Change from 2016

-1.2pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

370

% of total

15.8%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

197

% of total

8.4%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

35

% of total

1.5%

Change from 2016

+0.5pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

1,564

% of total

66.9%

Change from 2016

+2.4pp

Not Stated

2021 count

165

% of total

7.1%

Change from 2016

-1.7pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Tumby Bay (DC). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional SA.

Unpaid childcare for Tumby Bay (DC). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional SA.
Unpaid childcare for Tumby Bay (DC). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional SA.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional SA%Count%Regional SA%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)60325.8%24.3%58727.0%26.2%+16-1.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren37015.8%16.2%36116.6%17.4%+9-0.8pp
Cared For Other Child Ren1978.4%7.2%1999.2%7.9%-2-0.8pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren351.5%0.8%221.0%0.9%+13+0.5pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided1,56466.9%67.9%1,40064.5%64.3%+164+2.4pp
Not Stated1657.1%7.8%1908.8%9.5%-25-1.7pp
Total2,337100.0%100.0%2,171100.0%100.0%+1660.0pp