idc-logo
svg rectangle color
Wollondilly Shire CouncilCommunity profile

Wollondilly Shire

Unpaid childcare

In Wollondilly Shire 12,916 people (30.6% of people aged 15+) provided unpaid care to children in 2021. Of these, 2,586 people were caring for children other than their own.

The role of unpaid childcare in Wollondilly Shire is determined by many different factors. For example areas with high levels of unpaid child care may have a dominance of single income families with one significant earner, or there could be a lack of provision of paid child care in the area. The level to which people care for others children can also indicate the role of extended family (eg. grandparents caring for grandchildren, family day care).

The role of unpaid child care is a complex one so this topic should be viewed in conjunction with several others, including Household Type, Employment, Household Income and Educational Attendance.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'In the last two weeks did the person spend time looking after a child, without pay?', which specifically asks respondents to differentiate between caring for their own children and caring for others children.

Unpaid childcare
Wollondilly Shire - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)20212016Change
Unpaid child careNumber%Greater Sydney %Number%Greater Sydney %2016 to 2021
Provided unpaid child care (all)12,91630.625.212,47833.027.3+438
Cared for own child/ren10,33024.521.38,87123.420.3+1,459
Cared for other child/ren2,3185.53.63,2688.66.4-950
Cared for own child/ren and other child/ren2680.60.33390.90.6-71
No unpaid child care provided27,04964.068.922,55459.665.2+4,495
Not stated2,2715.45.92,8057.47.5-534
Total persons aged 15+42,236100.0100.037,837100.0100.0+4,399
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

Analysis of the unpaid child care provided by the population in Wollondilly Shire in 2021 compared to Greater Sydney shows that there was a higher proportion of people who provided unpaid child care either to their own or to other children. Overall, 30.6% of the population provided unpaid child care, compared with 25.2% for Greater Sydney.

The major differences between the share of the population providing unpaid child care in Wollondilly Shire and Greater Sydney were:

  • A larger percentage who provided unpaid childcare for own child/ren (24.5% compared to 21.3%)
  • A larger percentage who provided unpaid childcare for other child/ren (5.5% compared to 3.6%)
  • A smaller percentage who did not provide care for children (64.0% compared to 68.9%)

Emerging groups

The number of people who provided unpaid child care for their own and/or other people's children in Wollondilly Shire increased by 438 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the number of people performing unpaid child care in Wollondilly Shire, between 2016 and 2021 were those who:

  • No unpaid child care provided (+4,495 persons)
  • Cared for own child/ren (+1,459 persons)
  • Cared for other child/ren (-950 persons)
  • Cared for own child/ren and other child/ren (-71 persons)

DISCLAIMER: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this website is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions in this website.

Please view our Privacy Policy, Terms of use and Legal notices.

ABS Data and the copyright in the ABS Data remains the property of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The copyright in the way .id has modified, transformed or reconfigured the ABS Data as published on this website remains the property of .id. ABS Data can be accessed from the Australian Bureau of Statistics at www.abs.gov.au. ABS data can be used under license - terms published on ABS website. intermediary.management@abs.gov.au if you have any queries or wish to distribute any ABS data.