- Parental concerns: 75% of parents are worried about their children’s mental health, with concerns spanning from preschool to age 17.
- 70% of those with preschool and primary school children look to employers for support for their child’s mental health and academic progress.
- ¾ of parents with children aged 0-4 expect support on parenting skills from their employer.
- Educational development: 71% of parents express concerns about their children’s educational catch-up needs, exacerbated by disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, but also rising in the last year.
- Social skills and physical health: 70% and 67% of parents, respectively, are worried about their children’s social skills and physical health.
The latest findings* reveal the critical challenges faced by working parents. The report highlights the urgent need for employer support to reduce parents’ mental load and mitigate the impact of their concerns on work performance.
Key Parental Concerns
The report delves into key parental concerns in four critical areas: educational development, social skills, physical health, and mental health and highlights parents’ concerns about the mental health of children across all age groups, exposing a shortfall in the support offered by many employers.
Desired Skills for Children
The State of Childhood report also highlights the skills parents believe are essential for their children’s success in a rapidly changing world. Parents prioritise social skills, resilience, and problem-solving for their children’s future success. However, the report found there were some generational differences, with older parents valuing interpersonal skills more, while younger parents focus on creativity and problem-solving, perhaps also reflecting the ages of their children.
The Need for Employer Support
The data demonstrates in stark terms the importance of offering wide-ranging and inclusive workplace support, and provides employers with insights on how they can support their workforce by addressing the concerns of working parents. It is telling that working parents are asking for parenting support as a higher priority than help with their own work-life balance.
Supports including back-up care, expert advice lines and additional tutoring, can help parents and carers manage their caregiving responsibilities for the benefit of their career and their children. Parents are looking to their employers for support in varied ways:
- For Baby to Preschool Age: Coaching on supporting children’s behaviour, support with transitions to primary school, and subsidised early years education.
- For Primary School Age: Holiday camps, mental health support, and additional tutoring.
- For Secondary School Age: Mental health support, information on further education pathways, and virtual revision camps.
Jennifer Liston-Smith, head of thought leadership at Bright Horizons, commented: “Parents are unsure where to turn for support, and with their worries having an impact on their work, they are now looking to their employer for solutions. The findings of this report underscore the costly outcomes of parents’ unaddressed concerns about their children’s mental health. Consequences for employers include, including working parents’ decreased productivity and increased absenteeism.
By addressing the immediate and long-term concerns of working parents, and equipping them with the necessary support, organisations can improve their productivity and employee engagement, strengthen their culture, promote inclusivity, and increase talent retention.
Employers must take action now to protect the wellbeing and productivity of their workforce. Without inclusive support for all, employers are missing out on the productivity gains that come with a less stressed workforce. Regardless of the age of their dependants, the organisations that work with Bright Horizons know that solutions such as Back-Up Care, a 1:1 Speak to an Expert service or virtual tutoring, benefit parents, carers and their employers.”
