In this article
- Key findings from the Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report
- Care pressures are forcing parents to put their goals and well-being on hold
- The financial toll of caregiving is too high
- This balancing act is throwing a wrench in parents’ professional paths
- Moms and sandwich caregivers face an outsized burden
- Families need relief, and they have a path forward in mind
- Resources from Care.com
- 2026 Cost of Care Report methodology
- Previous Care.com Cost of Care reports
Now in its 13th year, the Care.com Cost of Care Report reveals that the cost of care in the U.S. is not only taking a financial toll on families but fueling a level of ceaseless stress and guilt. The responses of 3,000 parents reveal that juggling child care alongside household demands, which often includes caring for senior parents and pets, has families stretched to their limits and relying on a patchwork landscape of caregiving support. This report offers a panoramic view of the burden of the cost of care, highlighting a significant impact on parents’ sense of self, their relationships and careers. And it’s worse for two groups in particular: moms and sandwich generation caregivers, who are navigating care for both children and aging loved ones.
“Parents are being pushed well beyond their limits by the demands of caregiving,” says Brad Wilson, CEO of Care.com. “If this continues, care pressures risk pushing more parents to cut back or step away from their careers. That will only deepen financial strain and emotional stress, trapping them in a system that continues to fail them.”
Caring for the people who matter most requires time and energy, and it’s only sustainable with a truly supportive village. That’s why Care.com is committed to supporting families by offering access to a wide variety of care options while educating, innovating and advocating on their behalf. The resources below can help.
Key takeaways
- The cost of care has become an all-consuming strain on families’ lives, not just their budgets. Parents are not only losing sleep but also sacrificing personal goals and their sense of self. With most parents spending nearly every waking hour focused on others, many feel guilty for taking any time for themselves, and as care demands intensify, joy falls by the wayside.
- Caregiving stress is actively reshaping parents’ careers and pushing many, especially moms and sandwich generation caregivers, toward resignation. Most parents have considered leaving their job due to the cost and logistics of care.
- Moms report significantly higher levels of overwhelm, guilt and identity loss than dads, while sandwich caregivers are even more likely to rethink their careers and experience relationship strain. These groups are absorbing the greatest emotional, financial and professional consequences of a care system that relies on personal sacrifice to function.
Key findings from the Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report
New data on the cost of child care and beyond from the 13th annual Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report reveals:
★ Caregiving plans feel pieced together and are still not enough. Parents already have to juggle a patchwork quilt of child care — four different arrangements on average — but that’s not all. They also juggle care for other members of the household, as 57% of parents paid for pet care, 46% hired a housekeeper and 37% hired senior care help. Yet, nearly half — 45% — of parents say they don’t have enough help.
It’s no surprise that finding care is a perpetual, time-intensive struggle. On average, parents had to switch up caregiving solutions three times in the past year, and 52% searched for two months or more, juggling nearly three apps or websites to find care.
★ The downstream effects of child care-related stress continue to skyrocket. As a result of facing the challenges of finding, managing or paying for care:
- 90% of parents share that they have lost sleep.
- 89% feel burnt out.
- 88% are sacrificing other goals in life.
- And distressingly, 34% have considered suicide or self-harm, up from 29% in last year’s report.
★ A variety of root causes are spurring this stress. Parents are experiencing several core challenges and structural barriers, such as:
- Major sacrifices of self and joy: A staggering majority — 80% — spend almost every waking hour focused on someone other than themselves, and 67% feel guilty for taking any time for themselves.
- Untenable costs: The average parent spends 20% of annual income on child care. For those juggling additional responsibilities, the cost climbs even higher, with parents with seniors, pets, or housekeeping spending +17% of annual income on top of child care alone.
- An ongoing hunt for care: Parents report seeking roughly three new or alternative caregiving solutions in the past year. And finding the care takes time — 52% searched for 2 months or more to find a new caregiver solution — while using nearly three apps or websites to find support.
★ Parents are looking to policy support and their employers for real change. Parents are calling for relief and longing for a world where care is easier to find, manage, afford and trust. Nearly all (95%) want to see expanded tax credits for care expenses and subsidized caregiving benefits from employers (93%).
Care pressures are forcing parents to put their goals and well-being on hold
The average parent juggles four different child care arrangements ranging from babysitters to daycares to relatives, and many hire additional help for seniors, pets and their homes. Still, nearly half (45%) say they don’t have enough help. Given this glaring lack of support, it’s no surprise family and caregiving responsibilities are the second most commonly cited top source of stress, second only to finances.
Parents feel most stressed by:
- Finances (44%)
- Family and caregiving responsibilities (36%)
- Work/employment/career (36%)
- The economy (33%)
- Their own mental health (33%)
- Relationships (21%)
- Physical health (20%)
- Politics (17%)
- Physical health of loved ones (15%)
- Mental health of loved ones (14%)
The pressure of perpetually playing whack-a-mole with these stressors has stunning consequences. As a result of the challenges of finding, managing or paying for care, parents report:
- Lost sleep (90%)
- Feeling burnt out (89%)
- Sacrificing other goals in life (88%)
- Burnout at work (84%)
- Feeling isolated or alone (82%)
- Crying from stress (81%)
- Impact on their physical health (78%)
- Experienced a sense of dread (76%)
- Over half have discussed caregiving challenges with a therapist (54%)
- And distressingly, 34% have considered suicide or self-harm (up from 29% in last year’s report)
It also negatively impacts relationships. Parents admit they have:
- Lashed out at loved ones (77%)
- Experienced a sense of dread (76%)
- Felt relationship burnout with a spouse/partner (76%), friends (74%), their kids (66%), and seniors in their life (61%)
It’s no surprise this emotional load sets the stage for heartbreaking sacrifices of sense of self and joyful life activities. Eight in 10 parents (80%) spend almost every waking hour focused on someone else, not themselves, and more than two-thirds (67%) feel guilty for taking any time for themselves.
As care demands skyrocket, joyful life activities end up getting scrapped. Parents say they gave up:
- Time with friends (51%)
- Hobbies or activities they enjoy (49%)
- Travel plans (49%)
- Holiday parties (49%)
- Time with a partner (41%)
- Work events or obligations (41%)
- Birthday parties (41%).
Parents’ relationships are also suffering: Among parents who have a partner or spouse, 48% have felt resentful toward their partner due to care pressures.
The financial toll of caregiving is too high
Not only did our report shed light on the bevy of stressors parents are facing, but it revealed the primary factors behind the weight of navigating care. These include financial strain and career friction, a pitfall that moms and sandwich caregivers are especially likely to face.
Parents’ burnout is perpetuated by having to pay a mortgage-level bill for care. The average parent reports spending 20% of their annual income on child care. And if they’re also juggling care for seniors or pets or housekeeping, they’re spending an additional 17% of their annual income on average.
Most families are struggling to manage this hefty expense: 78% of parents cite spending 10% or more of their household income on child care, and 20% spend more than $30,000 per year or $2,500 monthly.
In turn, parents are reining in spending and relying on a range of financial strategies. Their top tactics include:
- Reducing spending on entertainment/leisure (34%)
- Relying on friends or family to help with child care (32%)
- Dipping into savings (31%)
- Delaying major purchases like vacations or weddings (30%)
- Relying on family or friends for other types of care, such as senior care or pet care (26%)
- Taking on multiple jobs (24%)
- Choosing less expensive care options (21%)
- Applying for government assistance (17%)
- Going into debt (16%)
- Changing jobs (14%)
Here are the average posted weekly costs of child care, senior care, pet care and housekeeping:
Child care rates per week
| One infant | One toddler | Two children | |
| Nanny | $870 | $936 | $952 |
| Daycare | $332 | $308 | $585 |
| Family care center | $323 | $301 | $572 |
One child | Two children | |
| After-school sitter | $328 | $344 |
| Babysitter | $175 | $169 |
Senior care, pet care and housekeeping rates per week
| Senior care | $795 |
| Pet care | $ 147 |
| Housekeeping | $184 |
– All two children rates for daycare and family care centers were calculated by adding the weekly rate for one child and the weekly rate for the second child with a national average sibling discount of 10%.
– All other daycare and family care center rates are based on rate information from centers listed on Care.com.
– Nanny and senior care weekly rates account for 40 hours per week and are based on hourly rates for jobs posted by families on Care.com.
– Babysitter, pet care, and housekeeping weekly rates account for 8 hours per week, are not age limited, and are based on hourly rates for jobs posted by families on Care.com.
– After-school sitter weekly rates account for 15 hours per week, are not age limited, and are based on hourly rates for jobs posted by families on Care.com.
Check out our Cost of Care Calculator to estimate hourly, in-home care costs in your city.
This balancing act is throwing a wrench in parents’ professional paths
Our report uncovers a disconcerting irony underlying the story of working parents’ stress in particular: They’re working frantically to fund a system that is ultimately failing to support their careers.
When they think about juggling care and their careers, parents reveal they’re experiencing:
- Overwhelm (51%)
- Frustration (46%)
- Determination (31%)
- Guilt (22%)
Meanwhile, the battle of managing and paying for care is stripping parents of their professional fulfillment. Among the 91% of parents who earn income, the majority (84%) say they would have a more fulfilling career if child care became free tomorrow while 61% say their career ambitions have dimmed because of care logistics and cost.
As a result, more than half (52%) say they resent the workplace due to care-related pressures, and 59% have thought about leaving a job.
These findings mirror a growing trend, coined last year as “The Great Exit,” involving young moms leaving the workforce as a result of soaring child care costs and increasingly less flexibility.
Being torn between their careers and care-related responsibilities is also chipping away at parents’ relationships. Among the 73% of parents who have a partner or spouse:
- 52% have argued over who should adjust their career for care.
- 53% wish they were more outspoken in setting work vs. child care priorities.
Moms and sandwich caregivers face an outsized burden
The steep cost of care is being primarily absorbed by moms and especially sandwich generation caregivers, both of whom are sacrificing their careers and sense of self.
Moms report losing their identities and aspirations to caregiving while facing more overwhelm, stress and guilt than dads.
Care burdens for moms vs. dads
| Moms | Dads | Gap | |
| Feel overwhelmed juggling care and career | 60% | 42% | +18 |
| Feel guilt related to caregiving | 31% | 13% | +18 |
| Spend almost every waking hour focused on others | 85% | 73% | +12 |
| Cite family and caregiving as a top source of stress | 40% | 31% | +9 |
| Career ambitions dimmed due to child care costs and logistics | 63% | 59% | +4 |
| Considered leaving their job due to the cost of care (financial, mental, emotional) | 61% | 57% | +4 |
People who juggle care for both their children and older loved ones are also rethinking their careers and grappling with relationship challenges. Sandwich caregivers’ stress is giving way to regret and resentment at home and at work.
Care burdens for sandwich caregivers vs. those who don’t also care for seniors
| Sandwich caregivers (%) | Caregivers without senior responsibilities (%) | Gap | |
| Considered leaving their job due to the financial, mental and emotional cost of care | 67% | 55% | +12 |
| Wish they had been more outspoken with their partner about who works vs. who provides care | 64% | 47% | +17 |
| Feel resentful toward their workplace due to care-related pressures | 61% | 48% | +13 |
Families need relief, and they have a path forward in mind
As the cost of caregiving drives parents to the brink, they’re pushing for systemic shifts that would make care easier to find, manage, afford and trust.
For starters, simply having a better network of trusted caregivers would improve mental and emotional health for 74% of parents. But they’re also looking to policy and more individualized approaches for help.
Parents want greater government and employer support
Parents are looking to government policies as well as employer programs for a helping hand. The majority of parents are fans of:
- 95% – Expanded tax credits for care expenses.
- 93% – Employer-subsidized caregiving benefits.
- 91% – Universal child care.
They favor flexible and consolidated care
Parents would be relieved to connect with and hire a jack of various trades or access a one-stop-shop for all their care needs. Being able to hire one person to fulfill multiple care needs is appealing to 94%, while 93% want the ability to find many types of care on one platform.
They would also appreciate more hands-on help in the form of:
- A nanny concierge to share top candidates and coordinate interviews (87%).
- A senior care adviser with a masters-level social work background (84%).
A crucial point: Parents value caregivers
Despite how challenging it can be to foot the bill for care, parents are invested in caregivers’ livelihoods. In fact, 62% say caretakers should be paid more, which speaks to the pressing need for concrete, system-wide solutions that support both families and caregivers.
Resources from Care.com
- As leaders in this space, we are committed to providing solutions. Read: The true cost of care: How we can build a better future for families and caregivers in 2026 for more information on what Care.com is doing to help.
- We’re partnering with Headspace to offer solutions. Care.com will soon launch a new collaboration with Headspace, a leading stress, sleep and mental health app, to offer parents more holistic support, caring both for their loved ones and themselves.
- Need care now? Find background-checked child care, senior care, adult care, pet care and housekeeping all in one place. Join Care.com now
Additional resources
- From Advocacy to Action: The Journey to Lasting Tax Relief for Families
- Affordable child care options and tips for saving money
- 9 child care subsidies every family should know about
- The complete guide to hiring a nanny
- 6 ways to cut the cost of hiring a nanny
- Nanny vs. daycare: Pros, cons, cost and how to decide which is best for you
- What is a part-time nanny — and do you need one?
- How much does a nanny share cost?
2026 Cost of Care Report methodology
This sample of 3,000 U.S. adults was surveyed on November 30, 2025. All respondents are parents of children 14 years or younger and currently pay for professional child care, confirmed by both consumer-matched data and self-confirmation. DKC Analytics conducted and analyzed this survey with a sample procured using the Pollfish survey delivery platform, which delivers online surveys globally through mobile apps and the mobile web along with the desktop web. The survey valid completion rate was 81%. No post-stratification has been applied to the results.
Care.com is one of the largest online platforms for finding child, senior and pet care. For 13 years, we’ve conducted this annual research to spotlight the realities parents and caregivers face, inform policy and advocacy efforts and guide the continued evolution of our platform. By capturing families’ experiences in real time, we make the often invisible work of caregiving impossible to ignore.
Previous Care.com Cost of Care reports
- 2025 Cost of Care Report
- 2024 Cost of Care Report
- 2023 Cost of Care Report
- 2022 Cost of Care Survey
- 2021 Cost of Care Survey
