In this article
- Key findings on the cost of child care in 2026
- The average cost of child care in 2026
- The ripple effect of rising child care costs
- The true price of family caregiving
- The case for affordable child care solutions
- There’s more to the story than the price of child care
- Resources from Care.com
- 2026 Cost of Care Report methodology
- Previous Care.com Cost of Care reports
Results from the 13th annual Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report once again spotlight the financial toll child care costs take on parents in the U.S. Based on feedback from 3,000 parents, the report reveals how these sky-high expenses impact household incomes and savings, stretching families to their limits as they lean on a patchwork landscape of caregiving support.
“Parents aren’t struggling because they’re doing something wrong — the system is asking too much of them,” says Sean Lacey, general manager, child care, for Care.com. “When care takes this large a share of household income, it directly shapes career decisions and long-term financial stability. Left unaddressed, the result is a workforce under real strain and families forced into trade-offs that can be hard to undo.”
“Parents aren’t struggling because they’re doing something wrong — the system is asking too much of them. When care takes this large a share of household income, it directly shapes career decisions and long-term financial stability. Left unaddressed, the result is a workforce under real strain and families forced into trade-offs that can be hard to undo.”
— Sean Lacey, general manager, child care, for Care.com
Key findings on the cost of child care in 2026
New data on the cost of child care from the 13th annual Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report reveals:
★ The cost of child care is cutting into household income and savings. The average parent is spending 20% or more of annual income on child care, and 31% are dipping into savings to cover the expense.
★ Child care costs are just one piece of a complex — and expensive — puzzle. According to the 2026 report, the average parent reveals they are responsible for four care arrangements for children, as well as aging loved ones, pets and housekeeping and the costs associated with that help. Parents juggling additional responsibilities are spending +17% of annual income on average.
★ Parents are yearning for meaningful cost solutions. Most parents seek policy support, with 95% valuing expanded tax credits for care expenses as helpful. In addition, 93% of parents believe employers should help ease the burden by offering subsidized caregiving benefits, and 91% support universal child care.
The average cost of child care in 2026
Here are the average posted weekly child care costs, including nannies, babysitters, daycare and family care centers, broken down by age and number of children:
- Average weekly nanny cost: $870 (up 5% from $827 in 2024).
- Average weekly daycare cost: $332 (down 3% from $343 in 2024).
- Average weekly family care center cost: $323 (down 6% from $344 in 2024).
- Average weekly babysitter cost: $175 (up 5% from $167 in 2024).
Infant child care cost per week
| 2025 | 2024 | Gap % | |
| One child | |||
| Nanny | $870 | $827 | +5.2% |
| Daycare | $332 | $343 | −3.2% |
| Family care center | $323 | $344 | −6.1% |
Although nanny costs for one child saw an increase, daycare and family centers saw a slight decrease.
Toddler child care cost per week
| Cost of toddler care | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One child | Two children | |||
| Nanny | $936 | $858 | $952 | $911 |
| Daycare | $308 | $315 | $585 | $599 |
| Family care center | $301 | $319 | $572 | $606 |
Babysitter cost per week
| Babysitter costs | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 |
| One child | Two children | |||
| After-school sitter | $328 | $316 | $344 | $332 |
| Babysitter | $175 | $167 | $169 | $178 |
Both after-school sitters and babysitter rates increased across the board with the exception of a slight dip in the cost of a babysitter for two kids.
– All two children rates for daycare and family care centers were calculated by adding the weekly rate for one child and the weekly rate for the second child with a national average sibling discount of 10%.
– All other daycare and family care center rates are based on rate information from centers listed on Care.com.
– Nanny and senior care weekly rates account for 40 hours per week and are based on hourly rates for jobs posted by families on Care.com.
– Babysitter, pet care, and housekeeping weekly rates account for 8 hours per week, are not age limited, and are based on hourly rates for jobs posted by families on Care.com.
– After-school sitter weekly rates account for 15 hours per week, are not age limited, and are based on hourly rates for jobs posted by families on Care.com.
Check out our Cost of Care Calculator to estimate hourly child care costs for in-home care in your city.
The ripple effect of rising child care costs
Child care is generally one of the largest line items in a family’s budget, and parents are dipping into a significant portion of their household income, as well as savings, to afford it. Although the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) deems 7% of family income as the benchmark for affordable child care, the Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report finds that the average parent says they spend 20% of their household income on child care costs. In other words, families are spending nearly triple what’s considered “affordable” for families.
In terms of actual dollars and cents, one in five families (20%) spends more than $30,000 on child care expenses per year. And most families (78%) spend 10% or more of their household income on child care.
The true price of family caregiving
The Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report makes it clear that the weight of child care extends well beyond the price of child care. In fact, parents surveyed report being responsible for four different care arrangements, from babysitters and daycare to relatives and more.
That means, in addition to the 20% of household income they spend on the sky-high cost of child care, the average parent spends 17% more of their household income on other caregiving costs supporting seniors, pets and housekeeping.
As these costs add up, families are finding themselves stretched to their limit. Many are cutting back on entertainment and leisure, turning to their savings accounts to afford child care and putting off major expenses like
Here’s a breakdown of significant shifts parents have made:
- Reducing spending on entertainment/leisure (34%)
- Relying on friends or family to help with child care (32%)
- Dipping into savings (31%)
- Delaying major purchases like vacations or weddings (30%)
- Relying on family or friends for other types of care (26%)
- Taking on multiple jobs (24%)
- Choosing less expensive care options (21%)
- Applying for government assistance (17%)
- Going into debt (16%)
- Changing jobs (14%)
The case for affordable child care solutions
Given just how much strain parents are under to afford care, they’re clear about what would help to ease the burden:
- 95% say expanded tax credits for care expenses would help.
- 93% support subsidized caregiving benefits from employers.
- 91% support universal child care.
And most (74%) say having a better network of trusted caregivers would improve their mental and emotional health.
There’s more to the story than the price of child care
Read the full Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report to learn more about:
- The broader emotional and mental strain of caregiving, especially for moms and sandwich generation caregivers.
- Other triggers of parental stress beyond the bottom line, such as perpetual searches for care and losing their sense of self.
- The weight of managing care for the entire household — including kids, aging loved ones, pets and more.
Resources from Care.com
- As leaders in this space, we are committed to providing solutions. Read: The true cost of care: How we can build a better future for families and caregivers in 2026 for more information on what Care.com is doing to help.
- We’re partnering with Headspace to help alleviate the mental load of finding and managing care. For a limited time, new Care.com members get FREE Headspace — the leading mental health companion for stress, sleep and everyday support. Go to Care.com for more details.
- Need care now? Find background-checked child care, senior care, adult care, pet care and housekeeping all in one place. >> Join Care.com now
Additional resources
- Affordable child care options and tips for saving money
- 9 child care subsidies every family should know about
- The complete guide to hiring a nanny
- 6 ways to cut the cost of hiring a nanny
- Nanny vs. daycare: Pros, cons, cost and how to decide which is best for you
- What is a part-time nanny — and do you need one?
- How much does a nanny share cost?
2026 Cost of Care Report methodology
This sample of 3,000 U.S. adults was surveyed on November 30, 2025. All respondents are parents of children 14 years or younger and currently pay for professional child care, confirmed by both consumer-matched data and self-confirmation. DKC Analytics conducted and analyzed this survey with a sample procured using the Pollfish survey delivery platform, which delivers online surveys globally through mobile apps and the mobile web along with the desktop web. The survey valid completion rate was 81%. No post-stratification has been applied to the results.
Care.com is one of the largest online platforms for finding child, senior and pet care. For 13 years, we’ve conducted this annual research to spotlight the realities parents and caregivers face, inform policy and advocacy efforts and guide the continued evolution of our platform. By capturing families’ experiences in real time, we make the often invisible work of caregiving impossible to ignore.
Previous Care.com Cost of Care reports
- 2025 Cost of Care Report
- 2024 Cost of Care Report
- 2023 Cost of Care Report
- 2022 Cost of Care Survey
- 2021 Cost of Care Survey
