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 Rendelsham, accounting for 67.2% (121 people). This share was lower than Wattle Range (DC) (68.6%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which decreased by 1,018 people, while its share rose by 3.1 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Rendelsham - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Rendelsham in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Wattle Range (DC) and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Rendelsham, with comparison markers for Wattle Range (DC).

Rendelsham
Wattle Range (DC)

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

50

% of total

27.8%

Change from 2016

-1.2pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

41

% of total

22.8%

Change from 2016

+3.8pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

10

% of total

5.6%

Change from 2016

-3.1pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

0

% of total

0.0%

Change from 2016

-1.1pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

121

% of total

67.2%

Change from 2016

+3.1pp

Not Stated

2021 count

3

% of total

1.7%

Change from 2016

-5.3pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Rendelsham. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Wattle Range (DC).

Unpaid childcare for Rendelsham. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Wattle Range (DC).
Unpaid childcare for Rendelsham. Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Wattle Range (DC).
Category20212016Change
Count%Wattle Range (DC)%Count%Wattle Range (DC)%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)5027.8%24.0%51529.0%26.3%-465-1.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren4122.8%15.9%33719.0%18.0%-296+3.8pp
Cared For Other Child Ren105.6%7.4%1548.7%7.6%-144-3.1pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren00.0%0.7%201.1%0.8%-20-1.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided12167.2%68.6%1,13964.1%64.8%-1,018+3.1pp
Not Stated31.7%7.3%1257.0%8.8%-122-5.3pp
Total180100.0%100.0%1,776100.0%100.0%-1,5960.0pp