Child Care Access Key to Improving Parent Mental Health, According to New Research

New report from KinderCare highlights positive impact consistent, high-quality child care can have on helping parents avoid burnout

Key takeaways:

• KinderCare research shows child care access is a critical driver of parent well-being and workforce stability. Parents report spending more than one-third of each month burned out, with child care challenges as a leading cause.
• KinderCare identifies child care gaps as a primary source of stress for modern families. 81% of parents say they are constantly thinking about disruptions in care, reinforcing the need for consistent, reliable solutions.
• KinderCare data underscores the importance of high-quality child care on parents’ mental health. 60% of parents say parenting pressures are harming their mental health, highlighting child care as essential infrastructure for families.
• KinderCare highlights the confidence-building impact of high-quality early childhood education. 88% of parents say access to quality child care makes them more confident as parents.
• KinderCare recognizes high-quality child care is a fundamental need, not a luxury. 86% of parents agree it should be treated as essential for families and the economy.
• As a national leader, KinderCare delivers flexible, high-quality child care solutions at scale. Through community-based centers, school partnerships, and employer-sponsored programs, KinderCare supports families wherever they need care.

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Raising children has always come with stress, though pressures on today’s parents are particularly high, to the point where parents report spending more than one-third of every month in complete burnout, according to new data from KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. (NYSE: KLC) (“KinderCare”). Findings from the seventh annual KinderCare Confidence Index, conducted with The Harris Poll, reveal that the key to reducing parental burnout and improving the mental health of parents across the country lies in access to consistent, high-quality child care.

The KinderCare Confidence Index is one of the nation’s largest annual studies examining how child care access impacts working parents and employers.

Parent burnout is rising and largely driven by child care instability

Working parents in the U.S. reported spending more than one-third of every month in complete burnout, with 60% saying rising parenting pressures are harming their mental health. The majority of parents feel like they’re on their own, with 76% feeling extremely frustrated by the lack of child care support offered to parents in the U.S.

A major contributor to parent stress and burnout is the challenge of finding consistent, high-quality child care. 81% of parents reported they are constantly thinking about child care gaps. This is especially true for parents with children who are under age five, who are more likely to report finding reliable child care challenging as children in that age range require more hands-on care than school-age children typically do.

Recent data from Moms First show that these child care gaps have a direct economic impact as well. Their study found that 90% of parents report a workforce disruption due to child care challenges. These disruptions cost U.S. businesses up to $70 billion in lost productivity, turnover, and absenteeism annually.

Access to high-quality child care improves parent mental health, workforce stability

Nearly all (88%) of parents agreed: Quality child care gives them more confidence as a parent. Access to consistent, high-quality child care can have a direct, and positive, impact on a parent’s mental health as well as their ability to participate in the workforce. The majority of parents (86%) also believe high-quality child care should be considered a basic need, not a luxury and many are turning to their employers for support.

KinderCare works with more than 700 employers around the country to provide their employees with child care benefits, from care on or near site to a parent’s workplace to tuition benefits that can be utilized at KinderCare programs around the country.

“Child care has a direct economic impact both on employers and on society. When a parent misses work because of a lack of child care, the impact goes beyond the family to their entire work team, and that has an impact on an organization’s productivity. That’s why child care benefits are such a vital aspect of employee retention and engagement. When employers support parents, everyone benefits,” said Dan Figurski, President of KinderCare for Employers and Champions. “We’re proud to work with organizations around the country to offer a variety of child care options that support families wherever they need care, whether in their communities, at their local schools, or at their workplace.”

To download the full 2026 KinderCare Confidence Index or learn more about KinderCare’s child care solutions, visit here.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of KinderCare from November 5, 2025, to November 13, 2025, among 2,509 parents with children age 12 and younger. Within the sample we surveyed 1,056 parents with children age 5 and under, and 1,453 with children age 6-12. The presentation represents a national sample; we then looked at the data cut by the following demographics: age, race/ethnicity, gender, income, region, and employment status. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About KinderCare Learning Companies™

KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. (NYSE: KLC) is a leading private provider of early childhood and school-age education and care. KinderCare builds confidence for life in children and families from all backgrounds. KinderCare supports hardworking families in 41 states and the District of Columbia with differentiated flexible child care solutions through its portfolio of brands and services:

• KinderCare^® Learning Centers: early learning programs for children six weeks to 12 years old;
• The Crème School^®: a premium early education experience using a variety of enrichment classrooms;
• Champions^®: before- and after-school programs in local schools, and
• Customized child care benefits created in partnership with employers, including child care on or near the site where their parents work, as well as tuition benefits and backup care across all our programs.

Headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, KinderCare operates more than 2,700 early learning centers and sites.