Rising childcare costs and a lack of flexible infrastructure are leading more U.S. families to rely on grandparents for routine childcare. According to the advocacy group Child Care Aware of America, the average annual cost for childcare for children under age five was $13,184 in 2025. This financial pressure, combined with a shortage of available daycare spots, has made familial support a primary solution for many parents.
The shift toward grandparent-provided care coincides with changes in the American workforce and household structure. Data from the Pew Research Center indicates that 52% of different-sex couples with children had two full-time working parents in 2025, an increase from 31% in 1975. Additionally, a rise in single-mother households and the needs of children with disabilities have contributed to the demand for care alternatives.
Individual accounts highlight the logistical and financial trade-offs families make. Stacia Bourne, a professor in Maryland, noted that childcare for her first child cost approximately the same as her mortgage. To allow Bourne to have a second child, her mother, Mary Jo Galusha, retired from teaching in Idaho and relocated to Delaware to provide 30 hours of care per week. In another case, Yalanda Lattimore of Atlanta provides "granny daycare" part-time, noting that she sacrificed time for her media career and small business to help her daughter achieve a better work-life balance.
The reliance on grandparents for childcare affects millions of older Americans and young families. One poll found that nearly half of grandparents with grandchildren under 18 provide care at least once every few months, with those who are not primary caregivers spending a median of 200 hours per year, or about 3.8 hours per week, on these tasks. Families see a direct impact on their household budgets, as AARP estimates grandparents provide approximately $731 billion in unpaid caregiving annually.
The trend involves changes in the day-to-day lives of the older generation. Many grandparents, like those featured in the reporting, are retiring, relocating across state lines, or scaling back their own businesses and gig-economy work to fill gaps in the childcare system. While some studies suggest caregiving provides mental boosts such as improved memory and verbal fluency for seniors, experts like Syracuse University professor Madonna Harrington Meyer note that it also carries physical tolls and can limit a grandparent's social life and leisure time.
The effects extend to the labor market and policy debates. With more than 11.7 million Americans aged 65 and older in the labor force as of late 2025, the demand for childcare creates a tension between the need for older workers to earn income and the need for them to provide unpaid support. This dynamic was a point of discussion during the 2024 presidential campaign. Families like the Bournes continue to review their arrangements every six months, as there is often no formal backup plan if a grandparent is no longer able or willing to provide care.