Care.com Installs Giant Sandwich in NYC's Flatiron District to Spotlight the "Sandwich Generation" — Americans Raising Kids While Caring for Aging Parents

Activation with celebrity partner Whitney Port follows new Care.com research finding 87% of sandwich generation caregivers say their responsibilities are invisible to people not living through it

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Care.com brings a giant, larger-than-life sandwich inflatable to 1177 Broadway in the Flatiron District — a physical stand-in for a phrase millions of Americans use to describe their lives: the "sandwich generation." The activation builds on Care.com's newly released 2026 Sandwich Generation Report, the company's first study dedicated to this group.

One in four American adults is part of the sandwich generation, according to Pew Research Center — simultaneously raising children while caring for an aging parent. Care.com's survey of 1,000 of these caregivers found that the responsibilities typically begin around age 34, arriving suddenly for 80% of respondents. Once underway, sandwich generation parents spend nearly 24 hours a week arranging, managing, or providing care on top of their own jobs and families, and 87% say that work is largely invisible to the people around them. 86% also say they were completely unprepared.

"So much of what sandwich generation families carry happens quietly — in between school pickups, doctor's appointments, and everything else," said Jill McNamara, VP of Strategic Growth at Care.com and a licensed social worker. "Our research found that too often caregivers feel invisible to the people around them, so we wanted to do something impossible to ignore. If a giant sandwich helps even one caregiver feel recognized and a little less alone — or helps a future caregiver go in a little more prepared than the current generation — that's the whole point."

Care.com is also partnering with MTV’s The Hills star, author, and designer Whitney Port — who's been open with Care.com, with her audience and with the public about what it's actually like to care for her mom and her son. Whitney will appear on-site to meet with attendees, share her own caregiving experience, and speak with the press.

What to expect at the activation:

• A larger-than-life sandwich installation at 1177 Broadway
• Free sandwiches on July 30 starting at 11:00 AM while supplies last
• On-site conversations with the Care.com team about sandwich generation caregiving
• A QR code linking to @WeAreTheSandwichGen, a newly launched, ongoing social channel dedicated to championing the sandwich generation — from the basics of what it is, to lighter lifestyle content, to in-depth resources

The activation is the start of a broader push. In the coming weeks, Care.com will sponsor a full episode of With Whit, featuring Port and McNamara, followed by a live Reddit AMA on August 13 where the two will answer questions on sandwich generation caregiving directly.

The installation will be on view July 30–31 at 1177 Broadway, New York, NY; the Care.com team will be on-site both days from 10:00 AM–2:00 PM to talk with passersby and share sandwich generation resources, and free sandwiches will be available starting at 11:00 AM on July 30 only, while supplies last, courtesy of Care.com. Media interested in interviews or on-site coverage should contact the media contact below.

Care.com is also offering 20% off all membership plans with code TRYCARE20 now through August 4. Learn more at www.care.com/sandwich.

About Care.com's 2026 Sandwich Generation Report

The 2026 Sandwich Generation Report was conducted by DKC Analytics on behalf of Care.com between June 22 and June 29, 2026. The survey included 1,000 U.S. adults who are parents of children 14 years or younger and currently hold care responsibilities over both children and senior family members, confirmed by both consumer-matched data and respondent self-confirmation. The survey has a margin of error of ±3.1%, delivered via the Pollfish platform across mobile and desktop. 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. CareBenefits by Care.com empowers over 700 companies to provide family care benefits to their employees. HomePay by Care.com makes it easier for families to manage household taxes and payroll.