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 Waroona, accounting for 66.1% (1,570 people). This share was similar to Waroona (S) (66.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which increased by 1,507 people and 18.7 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Waroona - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

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

Waroona
Waroona (S)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

600

% of total

25.3%

Change from 2016

-4.0pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

389

% of total

16.4%

Change from 2016

-9.9pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

183

% of total

7.7%

Change from 2016

+2.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

27

% of total

1.1%

Change from 2016

+1.1pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

1,570

% of total

66.1%

Change from 2016

+18.7pp

Not Stated

2021 count

204

% of total

8.6%

Change from 2016

-18.5pp

Data table

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

Unpaid childcare for Waroona. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Waroona (S).
Unpaid childcare for Waroona. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Waroona (S).
Category20212016Change
Count%Waroona (S)%Count%Waroona (S)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)60025.3%24.6%3929.3%26.6%+561-4.0pp
Cared For Own Child Ren38916.4%16.4%3526.3%18.0%+354-9.9pp
Cared For Other Child Ren1837.7%7.4%75.3%7.9%+176+2.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren271.1%1.0%00.0%0.9%+27+1.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided1,57066.1%66.1%6347.4%60.4%+1,507+18.7pp
Not Stated2048.6%9.5%3627.1%13.2%+168-18.5pp
Total2,374100.0%100.0%133100.0%100.0%+2,2410.0pp