Helpr’s 2025 Blueprint for Better Care Benefits Report Outlines True Cost of Insufficient Family Care Resources in U.S. and the Path Forward

New report addresses challenges of American family care and offers the possible solutions as nation’s workforce juggles childcare, eldercare, and diverse needs

Helpr released a 2025 Blueprint for Better Care Benefits Report today. It examines the struggle U.S. families face managing family care and how lack of access is costing U.S. employers in terms of absenteeism and voluntary turnover, which runs companies an estimated $1 trillion annually. By providing a comprehensive perspective on the care crisis and steps to combat the challenge, the 36-page report offers a blueprint for companies to create a cost-effective family care benefit that serves both employees and employers.

Helpr conducted a literature analysis and qualitative research, surveyed Helpr benefit holders, and uncovered data from sources that track U.S. employment, employee benefits, and family care trends and outcomes to create the 2025 Blueprint for Better Care Benefits Report.

Some Highlights* in the Report Include:

• Nearly 50% of all employees take time off for caregiving, and over half consider quitting their jobs.
• Care benefits from employers can reduce absenteeism, with employees taking up to 16 fewer days off per year.
• Families spend almost 1/5 of their annual income on childcare per child forcing some parents to forgo employment.
• 86% of working parents are more likely to stay with employers where care benefits exist.
• Non-desk, hourly, and frontline workers face greatest barriers to care
• 51% of the U.S. population is living in childcare deserts, where there are not enough licensed or professional care options, forcing many parents, particularly working mothers, to leave the workforce.
• Informal/family caregivers represent a $600 billion value to the economy.
• Retaining as few as 1% of eligible employees can pay the cost of care benefits – every dollar spent on childcare benefits provides employers with a net gain ranging from $0.90 to $4.25, translating up to 425% return on investment.

“There’s a care crisis in this country, and it’s putting incredible pressure on families, and straining business operations - in particular for employers with non-desk employees. Families are juggling child and elder care responsibilities in communities where formal care isn’t always culturally practical,” said Helpr CEO Kasey Edwards. “It’s time employers look to subsidized family care that offers accessible solutions for all employees and a benefit that contributes a strong ROI to employers even as compared to lower hourly wage.”

Recommended Actions in the Report Include:

• Holistic care benefits deliver best results. Care programs must extend beyond childcare to include eldercare, self-care, and support for diverse needs, such as neurodivergence and cultural caregiving practices.
• Recognizing and compensating informal caregivers with subsidized care for family members and friends, creates inclusive, cost-effective, and culturally relevant caregiving.
• Accessibility and affordability are essential. Subsidized, hourly care rates, upfront payments, and tech-enabled solutions are key to ensuring care benefits meet the needs of frontline and hourly employees.
• Leveraging technology and rigorous booking adjudication processes boosts accessibility and safety, and drives significant cost savings and fraud prevention for businesses.
• Global care solutions are the future. As many workforces continue to be hybrid or remote and grow increasingly international, care benefits must support employees similarly regardless of location.
• Care benefits should be embedded in equity strategies – addressing systemic barriers faced by low-income employees, families with special care needs, and women.

*For citations and source details, refer to Helpr’s 2025 State of Care Report.

Access Helpr’s Blueprint for Better Care Benefits Report.

Since 2016, Helpr has provided care benefits that provide employees—frontline to C-suite—access to quality care for their children, partners, parents, pets, and even themselves. Employees can choose vetted high-quality care providers or those from their personal network, like family members, friends, and neighbors. On average, Helpr’s corporate customers realize a 3X return on saved workdays against their investment and a 7.35X return on retention of employees.

Helpr works with leading brands around the globe to provide family care solutions to employees so they can thrive at home and on the job. Learn more at HelloHelpr.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250325594543/en/

“There’s a care crisis in this country, and it’s putting incredible pressure on families, and straining business operations,” said Helpr CEO Kasey Edwards.