A care crisis is squeezing working families, pushing parents out of much-needed jobs, and exacerbating labor shortages. All of this is also hurting businesses and our economy.
At the epicenter of this crisis, you’ll find moms, who studies show shoulder the majority of the unpaid labor of care – and who are squeezed to the extent that the U.S. Surgeon General just issued an “ Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents, ” noting a recent study showing 48% of parents say most days their stress is completely overwhelming.
This squeeze is more like a pressure-packed panini for moms who are in the “sandwich generation” – caring for children and aging parents or other family members at the exact same time. A large number of people are caught in this super pressured sandwich situation. Nearly half of adults in their 40s and 50s are experiencing the physical, emotional and financial challenges of having a senior parent and also a young or financially-dependent child at the same time.