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New Care.com Report Uncovers the Troubling State of Parental Well-Being Amid America's Care Crisis
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Care.com’s 2025 Cost of Care Report, released today, paints a grim–yet real–picture of the mental load on parents as daily
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[{"type":"text","content":" AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nCare.com’s 2025 Cost of Care Report, released today, paints a grim–yet real–picture of the mental load on parents as daily responsibilities caring for children, seniors, and pets cause significant emotional and financial strain. The report finds that the average parent who responded is responsible for five loved ones, resulting in the management of five different care arrangements, yet nearly half (48%) say that they still don’t have enough help. The report further reveals a concerning correlation between caregiving and overall well-being, leaving 90% of parents losing sleep, 80% crying (increasing to 90% for moms specifically), 75% feeling a sense of dread, 71% experiencing health issues, and 29% even considering suicide or self-harm due to the challenges of finding, managing, and affording care.\n\n\nNew to the 12th installment of the annual report, which comprises survey results of 3,000 parent respondents, is a focus on the root causes behind the care-related pressures pushing parents to the brink of emotional and financial ruin. Parents who responded to the survey point to endless care searches (disruptions like schedule changes, budget changes, or needing one-time care drive new searches, and 52% report it taking two months or more on average to find the right caregiver), exorbitant family care costs (the average parent spends 40% of their household income on all of their caregiving needs, with 22% spent on child care alone), and personal time sacrifices (34 important life commitments are missed each year due to inadequate care).\n\n\n“The level of stress and mental load on parents today has reached unacceptable heights, spurring detrimental outcomes.” said Brad Wilson, CEO of Care.com. “We, as a society, cannot stand idly by while parents endure a daily depletion of their time, money, and energy taking care of those who depend on them the most. As evidenced by our report, the need for support is more dire than ever. Without it, the well-being of not just parents, but children and seniors, too, is at risk.”\n\n\nThe new research comes just months after Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s public health advisory on the well-being of the 63 million parents across the country. While the warning spotlights stressors such as financial instability, children’s health and safety, and cultural press...