For many working parents, childcare isn’t simply a convenience. It’s what makes going to work possible in the first place.
A new nationwide survey of 2,000 parents with children ages 6 and younger found that most families rely on some form of childcare. For many of those parents, losing that care wouldn’t just mean rearranging a few schedules. It could mean cutting back work hours or leaving the workforce altogether.
The survey offers a glimpse into just how much today’s working families depend on grandparents, friends, daycare centers, early childhood education programs and other caregivers to make everyday life work.
Most Parents Rely on Some Form of Childcare
More than 8 in 10 parents surveyed use some type of childcare, but that doesn’t necessarily mean sending a child to daycare five days a week. Families are piecing together care in all kinds of ways.
Grandparents and other immediate family members were the most common source of help. Other parents rely on friends, early childhood education programs, traditional daycare centers, nannies and babysitters. For many families, that support system is what allows parents to continue working.
The survey found that the vast majority of dual-income households have both parents working because they need the income. Far fewer families have one full-time working parent and another who stays home. The traditional idea of having one parent available to handle most of the childcare simply isn’t the reality for many households anymore.
Related: Mom Refuses to Babysit Grandkids for Free — Says “I’m a Grandparent, Not a Free Nanny”
Without Childcare, Some Parents Would Have to Stop Working
One of the most telling findings from the survey was what parents said would happen if their childcare suddenly disappeared. About one-quarter said one parent would need to reduce their work hours, while a similar number said one parent would have to leave the workforce entirely. Many others said both parents would have to change their schedules.
It shows just how closely childcare and employment are connected. When care falls through, the problem doesn’t stop at figuring out who will watch the kids. It can affect work schedules, income and ultimately a family’s finances. For single-parent households, the challenge can be even greater because there may not be another parent available to fill the gap when childcare isn’t available.
Raising Kids Now Takes a Bigger Village
Parents also feel they’re relying on more people to help raise their children than previous generations did. Seven in 10 parents said raising children today requires them to place more trust in other people than their own parents had to a generation ago.
That village can look different for every family. It might mean grandparents helping a few days a week, daycare during work hours and a babysitter when schedules overlap. With so many people potentially involved in caring for their children, parents aren’t making those decisions lightly.
Many research providers online, talk with them directly and even check their social media before deciding where to send their child. Parents using early childhood education programs or traditional daycare spent an average of 39 hours researching their options. That’s nearly an entire workweek spent figuring out who they feel comfortable leaving their child with.
Parents Want More Than Someone to Watch Their Kids
Finding childcare isn’t only about filling the hours between drop-off and pickup. Parents increasingly want caregivers and early education providers to play an active role in their child’s development.
Socializing ranked high on the list, along with building confidence, encouraging creativity, developing problem-solving skills and supporting social and emotional development. School readiness was also important to the overwhelming majority of parents surveyed.
Parents aren’t necessarily looking for someone who can simply keep their child safe while they’re at work. They also want an environment where their child can learn, socialize and build skills along the way.
Finding Childcare Is Still a Challenge
Even when parents know exactly what they’re looking for, actually finding it can be another story. Cost was the biggest barrier parents reported, but affordability wasn’t the only issue.
Families also struggled to find reliable care, faced long waitlists or unavailable spots and had difficulty finding providers whose hours worked with their schedules. That can leave parents stuck between needing childcare in order to work and struggling to find care that’s affordable, available and actually fits into their day.
Nearly all of the parents surveyed said having choices when selecting childcare matters. Yet about two-thirds wished they’d had more options when they were making that decision.
Quality Childcare Is Still Seen as an Investment
Despite the cost and challenges, most parents said they consider quality early education an investment in their child’s future. Parents whose children attend early childhood education programs also reported seeing growth in areas such as socialization, creativity, confidence, emotional development and problem-solving.
Those benefits matter, but the survey highlights another side of childcare that’s easy to overlook. Childcare doesn’t only support children. It supports the parents who need to work, the employers who rely on those workers and the household income families depend on.
For many parents today, reliable childcare isn’t an optional expense that can easily be cut when money gets tight. It’s part of what allows the rest of family life to function. When that care isn’t affordable or available, families aren’t simply left looking for another babysitter. They may be left deciding who can work, how much they can work and how they’re going to make the numbers add up.
