DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 3, 2026-- The care crisis facing U.S. parents is reaching a breaking point. According to Care.com’s newly released 2026 Cost of Care Report, parents report lost sleep (90%), feeling burnt out (89%), sacrificing other goals in life (88%), and feeling burnout at work (84%) as a result of challenges finding, managing, or paying for care. More than half have discussed caregiving challenges with a therapist (54%), and more than a third have considered suicide or self-harm (34%), up from 29% in last year’s report.

The national survey of 3,000 parents—now in its 13th year—shows that care demands still sit at the center of family stress. Family and caregiving responsibilities are the second most commonly cited top source of stress (cited by 36%), second only to finances (44%), and ahead of work/employment/career (36%), the economy (33%), and their own mental health (33%).

“Parents are being pushed well beyond their limits by the demands of caregiving,” said 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.”

Highlights from the 2026 Cost of Care Report:

Parents Are Juggling It All — and Still Need More Help

Parents describe a care ecosystem that is fragmented and time-consuming to manage. On average, parents balance four different child care arrangements, ranging from babysitters to daycares to relatives. And that’s not all as parents today have much more to juggle than just children: in the past year, 57% of parents paid for pet care, 46% hired a housekeeper, and 37% hired senior care help. Yet 45% say they still don’t have enough help.

With so many caregiving needs to manage, finding care has become a constant, time-intensive challenge. Parents sought roughly three new or alternative caregiving solutions in the past year, and 52% searched for two months or more to find a new caregiver solution, while using nearly 3 apps or websites to find care.

Parents Lose Themselves Under the Weight of Care

Beyond stress, the report reveals how care pressure is reshaping how parents think about themselves. Eight in 10 parents (80%) spend almost every waking hour focused on someone else, not themselves, and more than two-thirds feel guilty for taking any time for themselves (67%).

As care demands intensify, personal joy is often the first thing to go. Ninety percent of parents have missed important life activities due to care challenges, including time with friends (51%), hobbies or activities they enjoy (49%), and travel plans (49%). Care strain is also affecting parents’ personal relationships: among parents with a partner or spouse, 48% have felt resentful toward their partner due to care pressures.

Career Friction Grows as Care Pressures Mount

Among the 91% of parents who earn income, care demands are increasingly colliding with work. 61% say their career ambitions have dimmed because of care logistics and cost.

Many parents report considering major changes as a result. Fifty-nine percent have thought about leaving a job, and 52% say they resent the workplace due to care-related pressures. Fifty-two percent of parents with a partner or spouse have argued over who should adjust their career for care.

Financial Pressure Compounds the Strain

Behind the emotional and career toll is significant financial pressure. Parents report spending an average of 20% of annual income on child care alone, with parents who also support seniors, pets, or housekeeping spending an additional 17% of annual income on average on top of child care.

The high expense impacts most families, as 78% of families spend 10% or more of household income on child care. For one in five families (20%), child care expenses exceed $30,000 per year. To make care work, parents report cutting back on entertainment and leisure (34%), relying on family or friends for child care (32%), dipping into savings (31%), and delaying major purchases like vacations (30%).

Despite the hefty cost, 62% say professional caregivers should be paid more, reflecting how much parents value care despite the strain of affording it.

Moms and Sandwich Caregivers Face the Heaviest Burden

The data shows caregiving strain is not evenly distributed, with mothers and sandwich caregivers — parents caring for both children and older loved ones — experiencing greater emotional and career impact.

Among mothers, compared to dads:

• 60% report feeling overwhelmed by juggling care and career, compared to 42% of dads (+18pp).

• 31% report feeling guilt related to caregiving, compared to 13% of dads (+18pp).

• 85% say they spend almost every waking hour focused on someone else, compared to 73% of dads (+12pp).

Among sandwich caregivers, compared to parents without older loved ones to care for:

• 64% wish they had been more outspoken with their partner when deciding who works versus who provides care, compared to 47% of caregivers without senior care responsibilities (+17pp).

• 61% feel resentful toward their workplace due to care-related pressures, compared to 48% of those without senior care responsibilities (+13pp).

• 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 (+12pp).

Parents Point to What Would Help

Despite the severity of the strain, parents are clear about what would ease the burden. Seventy-four percent say having a better network of trusted caregivers would improve their mental and emotional health. Support for policy and employer action is widespread, with 95% saying expanded tax credits for care expenses would help, 93% supporting subsidized caregiving benefits from employers, and 91% supporting universal child care.

The full results of The 2026 Cost of Care Report can be found here.

About the 2026 Cost of Care Report

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.

About Care.com

Care.com is where families go to find care and where caregivers go to find meaningful work. Since 2007, over 45 million people have turned to Care.com—across child care, senior care, adult care, pet care and housekeeping. Whether it’s a nanny for your newborn, an assisted living community for your aging loved one, or an adventure buddy for your dog’s daily strolls, we’re here to make care simpler, smarter and more personal. Through CareBenefits, Care.com also empowers more than 700 companies to provide family care benefits to their employees. With HomePay, we make it easier for families to manage household taxes and payroll. Care.com is proud to be part of the IAC family (NASDAQ: IAC).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260203765060/en/

Media:
Natasha Fellion, Associate Director, Communications
press@care.com

Source: Care.com