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 Wiluna (S), accounting for 49.6% (224 people). This share was lower than Regional WA (62.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which decreased by 164 people and 9.2 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

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

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

Unpaid childcare snapshot

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

Wiluna (S)
Regional WA

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

70

% of total

15.5%

Change from 2016

-5.4pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

46

% of total

10.2%

Change from 2016

-3.3pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

23

% of total

5.1%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

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

224

% of total

49.6%

Change from 2016

-9.2pp

Not Stated

2021 count

150

% of total

33.2%

Change from 2016

+13.2pp

Data table

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

Unpaid childcare for Wiluna (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Unpaid childcare for Wiluna (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)7015.5%26.4%13820.9%27.7%-68-5.4pp
Cared For Own Child Ren4610.2%18.7%8913.5%20.0%-43-3.3pp
Cared For Other Child Ren235.1%6.5%395.9%6.7%-16-0.8pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren00.0%1.2%71.1%1.0%-7-1.1pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided22449.6%62.2%38858.8%60.0%-164-9.2pp
Not Stated15033.2%11.4%13220.0%12.3%+18+13.2pp
Total452100.0%100.0%660100.0%100.0%-2080.0pp