Grandparents contributing an average of 58 hours of grandchild care per month
- Grandparents are contributing the equivalent of $3.94 billion annually in childcare costs, minding their grandchildren
- 22% of grandchildren now receive some form of care from their grandparents
- 4 out of 10 grandparents providing care to offer financial relief for their children
“Childcare costs are a major financial strain for many families with some care centres exceeding $180 per day in metropolitan areas. As the cost of living continues to rise and wage growth stagnates, it’s little wonder that many parents are turning to their parents as a childcare solution,” says Kirsty Lamont, Mozo Director.
“When you look at the sheer magnitude of contribution from grandparents, it indicates that for some families, the cost of childcare is tipping finances over the edge. Each month, grandparents across Australia contribute the equivalent of $328 million in childcare costs.”
The overwhelming majority of grandparents (98%) charge no money for the care of their grandchildren. Nearly seven in 10 grandparents provide care to offer financial relief or more time to parents to run necessary errands.
40% of grandparents who provide care for their grandchildren are still working while 30% are retired. Nearly 30% of grandparents stated they found the care tiring but were happy to look after grandchildren while 5% felt either obliged or exhausted about the care. The overwhelming majority (70%) stated they were happy to care for their grandchild.
Grandparents from Queensland found caring for grandchildren to be the most tiring with 31% of respondents feeling tuckered out. This was followed closely by NSW (29%) while Tasmanians reported the lowest levels of tiredness
Interestingly, it was Tasmanian grandparents who contributed the most childcare clocking an average of 134 hours care per month followed by ACT grandparents who contributed 84 hours. NT grandparents recorded the lowest number of hours per month, caring for their grandchildren for an average of 16 hours.
Notes on calculations: Nationally representative survey of 1002 Australians aged 18 years and above conducted by Pureprofile between 4 – 8 June 2018. Respondents were asked about assistance they have provided to grandchildren. Note: Numbers have been rounded. National calculations on grandparent/grandchild have also been sourced from ABS Australian Demographic Statistics, June 2017 as well as ABS Person Projections, Australia, 2011 – 2036. All calculations are available on request.
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