{"id":10965,"date":"2026-02-03T09:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T09:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/?p=10965"},"modified":"2026-02-03T14:26:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T14:26:02","slug":"2026-cost-of-care-report-what-hr-leaders-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/2026-cost-of-care-report-what-hr-leaders-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Our 2026 Cost of Care Report: what HR leaders need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Care keeps everything moving: families, workplaces, and everyday life. But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/cost-of-care-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Care.com&rsquo;s 2026 Cost of Care Report<\/a> shows just how fragile that foundation has become for working parents. Support is stretched thin, and many parents are juggling not just kids, but aging parents, pets, and the day-to-day responsibilities of running a home, too.&nbsp;<\/p><p>And while the report may focus on parents, the ripple effects show up in your workforce every day. Because when care breaks down, work breaks down.<\/p><p>Here are 5 key takeaways HR leaders should pay attention to, and what they mean for supporting employees in a real, practical way.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-caregiving-takes-a-measurable-toll-on-employees-well-being\">1. Caregiving takes a measurable toll on employees&rsquo; well-being<\/h2><p>The report makes clear that caregiving is one of the biggest stressors in families&rsquo; lives. The top sources of stress include:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Finances (44%)<\/li><li>Family and caregiving responsibilities, including child care (36%)<\/li><li>Work \/ employment \/ career (36%)<br><\/li><\/ul><p>And the impact of that stress is clear. As a result of the challenges of finding, managing, or paying for care, parents report:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Lost sleep (90%)<\/li><li>Feeling burnt out (89%)<\/li><li>Burnout at work (84%)<\/li><li>Impact on their physical health (78%)<\/li><li>And distressingly, 34% have considered suicide or self-harm (up from 29% in last year&rsquo;s report)<\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-hr-should-take-away-nbsp\">What HR should take away:&nbsp;<\/h3><p>Caregiving is an employee well-being issue. When caregiving pressure increases, it impacts reliability, focus, patience, and performance. It changes how employees show up in meetings, how they collaborate, and how sustainable their workload feels week to week.<br><br>HR teams should treat care as a serious driver of burnout and mental health strain, not a niche benefit category.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-the-high-cost-of-care-is-shaping-how-families-live\">2. The high cost of care is shaping how families live<\/h2><p>The average parent reports spending 20% of annual income on child care. And 78% spend 10% or more of household income on child care.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-hr-should-take-away-nbsp-0\">What HR should take away:&nbsp;<\/h3><p>For many employees, care is a constant pressure on their budget. That financial strain affects retention and long-term stability at work. Practical ways to help can include:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Subsidized care options like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/backup-care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Backup Care<\/a> that reduce out-of-pocket costs when employees need coverage fast.<\/li><li>Discount programs like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/lifemart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LifeMart<\/a> that help families save on everyday needs (child care, senior care support, pet care, home services, etc.).<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/additional-products\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Care Center Solutions<\/a> that make child care more accessible and affordable through preferred access and tuition discounts and skip-the-waitlist perks.<\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-caregiving-affects-career-progression-and-increases-flight-risk\">3. Caregiving affects career progression and increases flight risk<\/h2><p>Among the 91% of parents who earn income, the career impact is stark:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>61% say their career ambitions have dimmed because of care logistics and cost<\/li><li>59% have thought about leaving a job<\/li><li>52% say they resent the workplace due to care-related pressures<\/li><\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/coc-article-image-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10973\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/coc-article-image-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/coc-article-image-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/coc-article-image-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/coc-article-image-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/coc-article-image.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/figure><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-hr-should-take-away-nbsp-1\">What HR should take away:&nbsp;<\/h3><p>This is your retention risk in plain language. When employees feel forced to scale back, stall out, or choose between work and caregiving, it shows up in engagement, performance, and long-term loyalty. Two ways HR can respond immediately:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Manager enablement: Train managers to respond with flexibility and solutions (not awkward silence or judgment).<\/li><li>Benefit visibility: Make sure employees know what support exists before they are in a crisis. Don&rsquo;t rely solely on an annual open enrollment to encourage the use of benefits; keep them top-of-mind year-round through ongoing communications.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-the-burden-is-heavier-for-moms-and-sandwich-caregivers\">4. The burden is heavier for moms and &ldquo;sandwich&rdquo; caregivers<\/h2><p>The report shows caregiving is not affecting all employees equally. For moms, 60% report feeling overwhelmed by juggling care and career, compared to 42% of dads.<\/p><p>For sandwich caregivers (those taking care of aging parents and kids), 67% agree the financial, mental, and emotional cost of care has made them consider leaving their job, compared to 55% of caregivers without senior care responsibilities.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-hr-should-take-away-nbsp-2\">What HR should take away:&nbsp;<\/h3><p>These are two high-risk groups for burnout and attrition, and they are often trying to hold it together quietly. To bring support to life, HR can:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Collaborate with ERGs to normalize support and share resources.<\/li><li>Offer access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/care-specialists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Care Specialists<\/a> who can help navigate complex issues, like parenting a child with disabilities or help plan for senior care.<\/li><li>Create targeted communications or toolkits that highlight the various benefits employees can tap into for support (for example, &ldquo;support for working parents&rdquo; or &ldquo;support for employees caring for aging loved ones&rdquo;).<\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-employees-say-that-their-employers-can-play-a-real-role\">5. Employees say that their employers can play a real role<\/h2><p>Parents are not just describing the problem. They are pointing to what relief looks like.<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>74% say having a better network of trusted caregivers would improve their mental and emotional health<\/li><li>93% believe subsidized caregiving benefits from employers would truly ease the care crisis<\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-hr-should-take-away-nbsp-3\">What HR should take away:&nbsp;<\/h3><p>Employees want support that is practical, trusted, and easy to access when real life hits. That means helping employees:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Find vetted care options faster<\/li><li>Get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/benefits\/care-membership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">support<\/a> across more than one care need (kids, adults, pets, home)<\/li><li>Use their benefits without confusion or extra work<\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-bottom-line\">The bottom line<\/h2><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/cost-of-care-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 Cost of Care Report<\/a> is a clear signal that caregiving is shaping the workforce in real time.<\/p><p>Parents are stretched across multiple responsibilities, facing financial strain, and feeling career pressure that is pushing many toward burnout or out the door. HR leaders and benefits brokers have an opportunity to connect the dots and respond with care support that matches the reality employees are living.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-want-the-full-picture-nbsp\">Want the full picture?&nbsp;<\/h3><p>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/cost-of-care-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Care.com&rsquo;s 2026 Cost of Care Report<\/a> for a deeper look at what families are facing, and what meaningful support can look like.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Care.com\u2019s 2026 Cost of Care Report connects the dots between caregiving stress and what shows up at work every day: burnout, focus, retention, and performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1477,"featured_media":10986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"enable_toc":false,"care_reviewed_by":0,"care_post_updated_flag":true,"care_updated_date":"2026-01-23 00:00:00","last_update":"2026-02-03","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,45,40,58,22,8],"tags":[3,7,39],"member-type":[],"vertical":[],"platform":[],"class_list":["post-10965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-caregiving-solutions","category-employee-benefits","category-productivity","category-recruiting-retaining-talent","category-recruiting-and-retaining-talent","category-working-parents","tag-employee-benefits","tag-employee-engagement","tag-working-families"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3 (Yoast SEO v25.8) - 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