Around 40-42% of
U.S. working parents rely on grandmothers or other relatives for childcare, a
crucial safety net given childcare shortages, with nearly 60% of grandmothers
providing some care, highlighting their essential, often uncompensated, role in
the workforce, a trend consistent in 2023-2025 data.
Key Statistics & Trends (2023-2025):
High
Reliance: Studies show around 42% of working parents use
grandmothers for childcare, a figure
often cited in 2023-2025 articles.
"Peak Grandparenting": Data suggests a significant rise in grandparent care, with nearly 60% of grandmothers providing childcare for grandchildren, notes this LinkedIn article.
Economic Necessity: Many parents, especially with rising costs or non-traditional hours, might have to quit jobs or struggle without this support, say Fortune and this Yahoo News article.
Broader Family Care: Beyond grandmothers, about 42% of parents in a Care.com survey used family members (including other relatives) for some or all childcare, according to this Quartz article.
Why it Matters:
Grandparent care bridges significant gaps in formal childcare availability, especially in areas with low licensed provider capacity, as shown by this Minneapolis Fed article.
This unpaid labor supports workforce participation, particularly for women, note this U.S. Department of Labor blog and this LinkedIn article.
As of 2025, a significant portion of U.S. working parents continue to rely on grandparents and other relatives for childcare due to skyrocketing costs and a shortage of formal options.
Recent data and reports from early-to-mid 2025 indicate the following:
Reliance
on Grandmothers: Over 40% of working parents rely on
grandmothers specifically for childcare.
Grandparent Assistance: Nearly 60% of all grandmothers have provided childcare for a grandchild.
Total Relative Care: Approximately 47% of working parents rely on various relatives (including grandfathers, siblings, or other loved ones) to manage their childcare needs.
Frequency of Care: More than 40% of grandparents see their grandchildren at least weekly, often in a caregiving capacity.
Unpaid Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Care: Approximately 26% of parents of infants and toddlers use unpaid FFN care, while an additional 13% pay for such informal arrangements.
Contextual Trends in 2025
Peak Grandparenting: 2025 has been described as an age of "peak grandparenting," where grandparents serve as a vital safety net for the economy.
Workforce Retention: The importance of this care is highlighted by the fact that nearly 70% of working parents who use grandmother care say they might have lost their jobs without that help.
Rising Costs: Between 2023 and 2025, the average annual cost of formal childcare rose by over 50%, reaching approximately $17,836, further driving families toward relative-based care.
These reports detail the percentage of U.S. working moms relying on grandmothers and other relatives for childcare in 2025, along with reasons like rising costs:
Comments
Many Grandparents have move to be close to their grandchildren. Moms who earn close to $17,836 choose not to work. Those “Career Moms” who use Daycare need to be very well paid and stuck to their jobs.
Daycare Centers who receive 501C donations are being investigated for Fraud.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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