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 Williams (S), accounting for 57% (458 people). This share was lower than Regional WA (62.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren, which increased by 12 people and 1.5 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Williams (S) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Williams (S), with comparison markers for Regional WA.

Williams (S)
Regional WA

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

242

% of total

30.1%

Change from 2016

+0.3pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

162

% of total

20.2%

Change from 2016

-1.1pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

59

% of total

7.3%

Change from 2016

-1.2pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

16

% of total

2.0%

Change from 2016

+1.5pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

458

% of total

57.0%

Change from 2016

-2.9pp

Not Stated

2021 count

97

% of total

12.1%

Change from 2016

+1.9pp

Data table

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

Unpaid childcare for Williams (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Unpaid childcare for Williams (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional WA%Count%Regional WA%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)24230.1%26.4%23129.8%27.7%+11+0.3pp
Cared For Own Child Ren16220.2%18.7%16521.3%20.0%-3-1.1pp
Cared For Other Child Ren597.3%6.5%668.5%6.7%-7-1.2pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren162.0%1.2%40.5%1.0%+12+1.5pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided45857.0%62.2%46559.9%60.0%-7-2.9pp
Not Stated9712.1%11.4%7910.2%12.3%+18+1.9pp
Total803100.0%100.0%776100.0%100.0%+270.0pp