Care.com Survey Spotlights the Impact of COVID-19 on Parental Behaviors and Attitudes Towards Childcare

Majority of respondents are uncomfortable placing their children in daycare as states reopen and nearly half are more concerned about the cost of childcare than pre-pandemic

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Care.com, the world’s leading platform for finding and managing high-quality family care, revealed findings from its national COVID-19 Childcare Survey fielded to assess the impact of the pandemic on parental attitudes towards and plans for childcare as states reopen. Complementing this new data, Care.com also released the results of its annual Cost of Care Survey, highlighting the stark reality of the financial and familial impacts of childcare, stressors in the workplace for parents, childcare in the political arena, and more.

“Parents across America were struggling to find affordable and accessible childcare prior to COVID-19, but this challenge has been exacerbated by the pandemic and thrust our nation’s care crisis into the spotlight,” said Tim Allen, CEO of Care.com. “Our economic recovery rests on people’s ability to get back to work and for parents, that makes childcare indispensable. But with social distancing, remote work, and the closure of businesses that many parents rely on, a new dynamic of childcare is quickly emerging, and if we don’t take action now to solve this childcare crisis, there will be huge ramifications for all of us.”

Key highlights from the COVID-19 Childcare Survey:

• Childcare Choices Will Change: 63% of respondents who use daycare are somewhat or very uncomfortable returning their children to daycare as states reopen, and more than one-third (35%) of those are now considering in-home care instead.
• Economic Woes Drive Concerns: More than half (52%) of the parents surveyed anticipate that the cost of childcare will be higher than before COVID-19 and nearly that many (47%) are more concerned about the cost of childcare now than they were before the pandemic.
• Employers and the Government Need to Step Up: Nearly all surveyed (96%) say it is important for government and business leaders to provide additional financial support for childcare as Americans transition out of quarantine.
• Moms Hit Harder: For families with one or both parents working from home, 41% say mom has been doing the majority of extra childcare work while working from home, compared to just 15% who say dad has done the majority.

Key highlights from the 2020 Cost of Care Survey:

• Weekly Childcare Costs Have Risen Significantly in the Last Six Years:
  • Nanny: $565 (up 20% from $472 in 2013)
  • Childcare Center: $215 (up 16% from $186 in 2013)
  • Family Care Center: $201 (up 58% from $127 in 2013)
  • Au Pair: $401 (up 11% from $360 in 2013)
• Top 5 Most Affordable States for Nannies and Childcare Centers:
  • To hire a nanny: New Jersey, Maryland, Alaska, Connecticut and North Dakota.
  • To use a childcare center: North Dakota, Utah, Delaware, New Jersey, and South Dakota.
• Top 5 Least Affordable States for Nannies and Childcare Centers:
  • To hire a nanny: Mississippi, New Mexico, Arkansas, Arizona and Florida.
  • To use a childcare center: Washington, D.C., California, Oregon, New Mexico, and New York.
• Childcare & Household Income: More than half of families (55%) spend at least $10,000 per year on childcare, more than the average annual cost of in-state college tuition ($9,410) per CollegeBoard.
• Research & Awareness: 70% of parents say childcare costs surprised them when they started having children, followed by the cost of diapers (33%) and formula (31%).
• Impact on Working Parents: 60% of working parents didn’t think the cost of childcare would influence their career decisions, yet more than half (54%) had to make workplace changes in order to afford it.
• Childcare Driving Election Decisions: 71% of families say childcare policies will impact how they vote in the election in November.

For the complete results, please visit www.care.com/costofcare.

COVID-19 Childcare Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted using the online survey platform Pollfish and compiled by DKC Analytics. The sample of 2000 adults (18 years or older) in the United States are all parents of children under 16 years-old who report paying for childcare services. They were surveyed between May 20 and May 22, 2020. The margin of error is 2.23% and the sample was weighted for an even gender balance. Pollfish’s survey platform delivers online surveys globally through mobile apps and the mobile web along with the desktop web.

2020 Cost of Care Survey Methodology
The Cost of Care Survey is an annual survey to measure the relative cost of care in the U.S. and how care impacts families’ budgets and employment. The Care.com 2020 Cost of Care Survey captured responses from 3,848 parents in the United States during the month of May 2020. Respondents were recruited from Care.com. Weekly rates for a nanny are based on Care.com 2019 member data, childcare center and family care center rates are based on rate information from centers listed on Care.com, and au pair rates, which are based on data from Cultural Care Au Pair, Au Pair in America, and Au Pair Care. Affordability rankings are calculated based on the average cost of care in relation to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey that includes the state median family income of households with children.

About Care.com
Available in more than 20 countries, Care.com is the world’s leading platform for finding and managing high-quality family care. Care.com is designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s families and caregivers, offering everything from household tax and payroll services and customized corporate benefits packages covering the care needs of working families, to innovating new ways for caregivers to be paid and obtain professional benefits. Since 2007, families have relied on Care.com’s industry-leading products—from child and elder care to pet care and home care. Care.com is an IAC company (NASDAQ: IAC).