Northern Beaches CouncilCommunity profile
Skip to content

Northern Beaches Council area

Unpaid childcare

In the Northern Beaches Council area 27,784 males (28.4% of males aged 15+) provided unpaid care to children in 2016. Of these, 5,673 males were caring for children other than their own.

The role of unpaid childcare in the Northern Beaches Council area 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.

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.

Persons aged 15 years and over.

Unpaid childcare
Northern Beaches Council area - Males aged 15+ (Usual residence)20162011Change
Unpaid child careNumber%Greater Sydney %Number%Greater Sydney %2011 to 2016
map this data in atlas.idProvided unpaid child care (all)27,78428.423.525,88528.123.3+1,899
Cared for own child/ren
22,11122.618.720,30622.018.3+1,805
Cared for other child/ren
5,2195.34.45,0335.54.6+185
Cared for own child/ren and other child/ren
4540.50.45440.60.4-91
No unpaid child care provided
63,64165.068.860,26665.468.3+3,374
Not stated
6,4236.67.86,0176.58.4+406

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2016. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).

Unpaid childcare, 2016
Unpaid childcare, 2016 Not stated, Greater Sydney: 7.8% No unpaid child care provided, Greater Sydney: 68.8% Cared for own child/ren and other child/ren, Greater Sydney: 0.4% Cared for other child/ren, Greater Sydney: 4.4% Cared for own child/ren, Greater Sydney: 18.7% Provided unpaid child care (all), Greater Sydney: 23.5% Not stated, Northern Beaches Council area: 6.6% No unpaid child care provided, Northern Beaches Council area: 65.0% Cared for own child/ren and other child/ren, Northern Beaches Council area: 0.5% Cared for other child/ren, Northern Beaches Council area: 5.3% Cared for own child/ren, Northern Beaches Council area: 22.6% Provided unpaid child care (all), Northern Beaches Council area: 28.4%
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2016 (Usual residence data)
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Change in unpaid childcare, 2011 to 2016
Change in unpaid childcare, 2011 to 2016 Not stated, Northern Beaches Council area: +406 No unpaid child care provided, Northern Beaches Council area: +3,374 Cared for own child/ren and other child/ren, Northern Beaches Council area: -91 Cared for other child/ren, Northern Beaches Council area: +185 Cared for own child/ren, Northern Beaches Council area: +1,805 Provided unpaid child care (all), Northern Beaches Council area: +1,899
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2011 and 2016 (Usual residence data)
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).

Dominant groups

Analysis of the unpaid child care provided by the male population in the Northern Beaches Council area in 2016 compared to Greater Sydney shows that there was a higher proportion of males who provided unpaid child care either to their own or to other children. Overall, 28.4% of the male population provided unpaid child care, compared with 23.5% for Greater Sydney.

The major differences between the share of the male population providing unpaid child care in the Northern Beaches Council area and Greater Sydney were:

  • A larger percentage who provided unpaid childcare for own child/ren (22.6% compared to 18.7%)
  • A smaller percentage who did not provide care for children (65.0% compared to 68.8%)

Emerging groups

The number of males who provided unpaid child care for their own and/or other people's children in Northern Beaches Council area increased by 1,899 between 2011 and 2016.

The largest changes in the number of males performing unpaid child care in the Northern Beaches Council area, between 2011 and 2016 were those who:

  • Provided no unpaid child care (+3,374 males)
  • Cared for their own child/ren (+1,805 males)
  • Cared for other child/ren (+185 males)
  • Cared for their own child/ren and other child/ren (-91 males)

v20.11.10-1.0.0