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 Mindarie (WA), accounting for 68.9% (4,556 people). This share was higher than Wanneroo (C) (62.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 439 people and 2.1 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Mindarie (WA) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Mindarie (WA) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Wanneroo (C) and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Mindarie (WA), with comparison markers for Wanneroo (C).

Mindarie (WA)
Wanneroo (C)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

1,749

% of total

26.4%

Change from 2016

+0.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

1,192

% of total

18.0%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

505

% of total

7.6%

Change from 2016

+0.8pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

54

% of total

0.8%

Change from 2016

+0.3pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

4,556

% of total

68.9%

Change from 2016

+2.1pp

Not Stated

2021 count

310

% of total

4.7%

Change from 2016

-2.5pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Mindarie (WA). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Wanneroo (C).

Unpaid childcare for Mindarie (WA). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Wanneroo (C).
Unpaid childcare for Mindarie (WA). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Wanneroo (C).
Category20212016Change
Count%Wanneroo (C)%Count%Wanneroo (C)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)1,74926.4%32.4%1,60126.0%33.1%+148+0.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren1,19218.0%24.1%1,15818.8%25.3%+34-0.8pp
Cared For Other Child Ren5057.6%7.2%4206.8%6.8%+85+0.8pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren540.8%1.0%290.5%0.9%+25+0.3pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided4,55668.9%62.4%4,11766.8%59.7%+439+2.1pp
Not Stated3104.7%5.2%4447.2%7.3%-134-2.5pp
Total6,614100.0%100.0%6,167100.0%100.0%+4470.0pp