In its inaugural survey, Care.com examined the state of child care—in cooperation
with the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
(NACCRRA)—as well as the state senior care. In its second survey, Care.com,
NACCRRA, and the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) continued to
monitor the state of child care and examined specifically the state of child care for
children with special needs. The State of Care Index outlines the annual cost of child
care and senior care, details families' efforts to save money on care arrangements,
and reports on the tie between employment and caregiving.

What's Covered...

The Cost of Child Care and Senior Care

• $12,445
  ...what the average family with young children spends
  annually for child care.
• 14%
  ...of the average families' household income is devoted
  to child care.
• 45%
  ...the hourly cost of child care for a child with special
  needs is 45% greater than the hourly child care cost for
  a child without special needs.
• $16,457
  ...the amount spent annually by families who carry the financial
  burden of both child care and elder care.

The Impact of Child Care and Senior Care on Employment

• 82%
  ...of parents of young children and two-thirds of adults with elderly
  relatives solved a care crisis by missing work.
• 5
  ...the average number of care crises parents of young children
  experience each year. Parents of special needs children experience
  more than twice as many crises.
• 85%
  ...of changes made to child care arrangements and 56% of changes
  made to senior care arrangements were directly work-related.
• 45%
  ...of parents feel child care responsibilities have negatively impacted
  their work performance or career progress.