KinderCare’s 2025 Confidence Index highlights child care as essential for reducing parental anxiety
Recent data from KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc.’s sixth annual KinderCare Confidence Index, a national study conducted in partnership with The Harris Poll, found that access to quality child care is a critical cornerstone to enhancing parental well-being and mental health. Parents report unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety in pursuit of “perfect parenting.” Parents also said access to high-quality child care greatly improved their mental health.
“We know the positive impact that dependable, high-quality child care can have on a parent’s mental health. We are at a pivotal moment where both policymakers and businesses can help alleviate some of that stress with comprehensive child care benefits,” said Dan Figurski, President of KinderCare for Employers and Champions. “At KinderCare, we partner with hundreds of employers nationwide, providing tailored child care options that meet the diverse needs of workforces. It is essential for more employers to join us in enhancing and extending child care solutions for families.”
Nearly 67% of parents say the pressure to be a ‘perfect parent’ adds stress and anxiety to their daily life, and 60% say they feel overwhelmed by the demands of being a parent. Unsurprisingly, child care is among the top issues plaguing modern parents today. The survey found that consistent, high-quality child care stands out as the top resource for improving parent mental health, with 90% of parents agreeing that quality child care gives them confidence as a parent.
The escalating mental health crisis among today’s parents urgently highlights the need for policymakers and business leaders to enhance child care benefits. Sixty-three percent of parents say the return to in-person work disrupted their child care arrangements. Further, 77% report feeling they must put on a brave face and persevere, even when parenting feels like too much to handle.
Faced with these pressures, parents overwhelmingly report the positive impact of reliable child care on their overall well-being. According to the data, 75% of parents indicate that consistent, high-quality child care would allow them to be more present as a parent when they’re with their kids, an increase of 10% from 2024. Moreover, 85% say despite the many uncertainties in the world, selecting high-quality child care significantly reduces their anxieties. The data also reveals ongoing struggles among parents:
- 80% of parents agree the pressures put on parents today to ensure their child is successful is intense
- 54% of parents say the pressures of ‘gentle parenting’ have constantly made them feel like they’re failing as a parent
- 51% of parents say they would like to seek out therapy due to the pressures they face as a parent
- 57% of parents say unreliable child care has negatively impacted their work performance in the past
Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of KinderCare from November 21, 2024, to December 2, 2024, among 2,504 parents with children age 12 and younger. Within the sample we surveyed 1,053 parents with children age 5 and under, and 1,451 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.
Discover the latest trends and insights—explore the Business Insights Journal for up-to-date strategies and industry breakthroughs!
