KinderCare’s Parent Confidence Report Finds Working Parents Rank Child Care Above Nearly All Other Benefits 

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (October 2, 2023)— Data from KinderCare Learning Company’s 2023 Parent Confidence Report, conducted by Harris Poll, reveals that working parents increasingly see child care as a vital employer benefit, ranking second only to health insurance and above other benefits like retirement and paid time off. The report also found that Gen Z parents rank child care as their most desired benefit from employers. As pandemic-era child care stabilization funding ends, this highlights the critical role employers can play in supporting working parents by offering child care. 

Beyond identifying just how strongly working parents value child care benefits, KinderCare’s Parent Confidence Report also found that 61% of working parents believe there is a disconnect between the child care support they need and the support their employers provide. The report also unveiled a wide array of employees’ expectations from their employers as they relate to benefit offerings. Notably:   

• Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) working parents rank child care as the most important employer-provided benefit.
• 46% of working parents polled ranked child care in their top three benefits, and 69% ranked child care in their top five benefits.
• 67% believe employers should offset the cost of childcare for their employees

Working parents have made or would make the following career changes to improve child care access:

• Switch jobs: 69%
• Scale back hours: 65%
• Take a lesser paying role with more flexibility: 62%
• Take a career break: 62%
• Defer promotion: 55%

Over half of parents would stay in their current jobs if any of the following childcare benefits were offered to them:

• Education funding: 65%
• Pre-tax benefits (Dependent Care FSA): 61%
• Subsidized child care: 60%
• On-demand child care: 59%
• Emergency/back-up child care provided by employer: 56%
• Mixed child care offerings: 55%
• On-site child care: 54%
• Coworking spaces that double as daycares: 50% 

“What we’ve heard loud and clear from employers, and what we’re seeing in this data, is that child care benefits are no longer optional,” said Dan Figurski, President of KinderCare for Employers and Champions. “As record numbers of working parents enter the workforce, and as more employers move their workforce back into the office, there’s a sense of urgency to act now to build a benefits package that meets working parents where they are today. The reality is this: Working parents are in dire need of support—and the employers who offer it first will win their loyalty.” 
 
KinderCare Learning Companies Chairman and CEO Tom Wyatt’s Reflections on the Child Care Funding Cliff is available here.  

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About KinderCare Learning Companies®

A leading provider early childhood and school-age education and care, KinderCare builds confidence for life in children and families from all backgrounds. KinderCare supports hardworking families in 40 states and the District of Columbia with differentiated flexible child care solutions to meet today’s dynamic work environment:

• In neighborhoods, with KinderCare® Learning Centers that offer 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;
• For work, wherever employees work, offering customized employer-supported child care benefits at more locations than any other provider, and
• In local schools, with Champions® before and after-school programs.

KinderCare programs meet the highest standards, validated by independent, third-party evaluation including:

• 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.

Headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, KinderCare operates more than 2,000 early learning centers and sites. In 2023, KinderCare earned its seventh Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award – one of only four organizations worldwide to achieve this milestone for six consecutive years. To learn more, visit KC-Learning.com.