KinderCare’s 2023 Parent Confidence Report finds hybrid work is changing parents’ child care needs and expectations 

• Child care benefits remain highly desired by working parents. Child care benefits were the second most important reason for parents staying at their current job—with 18% ranking them as most important benefit—behind health insurance but above PTO. Over half of parents surveyed also admitted they’d take a pay cut to work for a company that provided quality childcare, and 67% believe employers should offset the cost of childcare for employees (up 5% from 2020). 
• Child care support alleviates stress and increases parent confidence. The majority of parents agree having access to quality child care allows them to not only excel at work but also be more present as a parent when they are with their children, with 82% of parents who use daycare or preschool for childcare noting that they are highly self-confident. On the flipside, 64% of parents say they are constantly thinking about child care gaps, with half also noting that piecing together enough child care coverage is a significant source of stress.
• Even as the pandemic settled, parents experienced a sharp rise in safety concerns. The majority of parents noted their children’s health and safety is their top priority.  When it comes to deciding on a child care provider, 50% of parents said best-in-class safety measures are an important factor, an 18% increase over 32% in 2022.
• American parents expect the government to address the child care crisis. Seventy percent of parents agree that child care is at a crisis point in terms of accessibility and affordability, and parents want a guarantee that child care will be available to those who need it. In fact, 66% believe the government should offer universal child care to all children, from birth to kindergarten.

• In neighborhoods, with KinderCare® Learning Centers that offer high-quality early learning programs for children six weeks to 12 years old and with Crème de la Crème®, which offers a premium early education model using a variety of themed classrooms; 
• At work, through KinderCare Education at Work™, providing customized family benefits for employers across the country, including employer-supported child care benefits, on-site and near-site early learning centers and back-up care for last-minute child care, and 
• In local schools, with Champions® before and after-school programs. 

• Gallup, measuring workforce engagement, 
• National Association for the Education of Young Children, ensuring individual early learning center quality,  
• Cognia, accreditation for before- and after-school programs 
• BRIGANCE® and TerraNova® assessments of children’s academic progress and achievement, and 
• WELL Health-Safety Rating™, validating health and safety practices in our facilities.