Nearly half of parents with a partner, 48%, say they’ve felt resentful toward their spouse because of childcare pressures, according to Care.com’s 2026 Cost of Care Report. More than half, 52%, say they’ve argued with their partner over who should scale back their career to handle care duties.
The report, based on a survey of 3,000 U.S. parents conducted in November 2025, ties the strain directly to cost. Seventy-eight percent of parents now spend at least 10% of their household income on childcare, and one in five spend more than $30,000 a year, according to Care.com’s own press release announcing the findings. A single infant nanny now runs $870 a week nationally; even part-time daycare for one infant averages $332 a week, per the report’s rate data.
Couples Are Losing Each Other in the Math
The financial strain is bleeding directly into relationship time. Care.com found that 76% of parents report burnout specifically in their relationship with their spouse or partner — a higher share than the burnout they report feeling toward their own children (66%). Forty-one percent said time with their partner is something they’ve had to give up entirely just to keep up with caregiving and work.
“Parents are being pushed well beyond their limits by the demands of caregiving,” Brad Wilson, CEO of Care.com, said in the company’s press release. “If this continues, care pressures risk pushing more parents to cut back or step away from their careers.”
Burnout Is Widespread — and Getting Worse
The broader numbers in the report describe a population near its limit. Eighty-nine percent of parents surveyed say they feel burnt out, 90% say caregiving pressures have cost them sleep, and 82% say they feel isolated or alone. Care.com’s report also found that 34% of respondents said they’ve had thoughts of suicide or self-harm tied to caregiving stress, up from 29% in the company’s 2025 report — a jump the company points to as evidence the crisis is deepening rather than leveling off. Anyone struggling with those thoughts can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by call or text, free and confidential, at any hour.
Mothers are carrying a disproportionate share of the load. Sixty percent of moms report feeling overwhelmed by caregiving demands, compared with 42% of dads, and 31% of moms report feeling guilt over their caregiving choices versus 13% of dads, according to the report’s gender breakdown.
Parents overwhelmingly want structural fixes rather than individual coping strategies: 95% support expanded tax credits for care expenses, 93% want employer-subsidized caregiving benefits, and 91% want some form of universal childcare, Care.com found. Until costs change, the report suggests couples will keep absorbing the pressure in the one place with no line item: each other.
