The national awareness and resource campaign from One Family Foundation enters its second year supporting 63 million American caregivers. Yet fewer than half of employed carers say their supervisors know about their caring responsibilities.
Seven in 10 working-age American caregivers balance paid employment with caring for loved ones, yet fewer than half say their supervisors know about their responsibilities, highlighting the often-hidden pressures facing millions of employees. As the US marks National Family Caregivers Month this November, Care Out Loud – the national awareness and resource campaign of the One Family Foundation, founded by actor, director and producer Bradley Cooper – is expanding support for an estimated 63 million Americans providing unpaid care.
The expansion comes amid growing evidence that caring responsibilities are taking a substantial toll on employees’ careers, financial security, physical health and emotional wellbeing. According to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving’s Caregiving in the US 2025 report, approximately one in four American adults – 63 million people – provides care for a loved one. Among family caregivers aged 18–64, 70% are employed, while only 49% of employed caregivers who are not self-employed say their supervisor knows about their caring responsibilities.
The research also found that nearly half of working caregivers experienced disruptions to their working day because of care, while 31% exhausted short-term savings and 18% reduced their working hours or moved from full-time to part-time employment. The findings underline why caregiving is increasingly becoming a workplace inclusion, wellbeing and retention issue, rather than simply a private family responsibility.
SUPPORTING MILLIONS BALANCING WORK WITH CAREGIVING
Care Out Loud provides free practical tools, expert-vetted resources and guidance to help families navigate the challenges of caring for loved ones with serious illnesses, disabilities, chronic conditions or age-related needs. The campaign also aims to raise awareness of the often-unseen contributions of unpaid caregivers, particularly those balancing employment, children and support for ageing relatives.
“Caregiving comes with a lot of questions, and finding answers can feel like a job in itself,” said Anneliese Barron, Executive Director of the One Family Foundation. “We created Care Out Loud to help caregivers break things down, figure out what to do next, and find the resources that can help.”
The campaign’s second year will continue this focus on practical guidance while encouraging greater public recognition of the millions of Americans providing care.
WHY CAREGIVING IS A WORKPLACE ISSUE
The scale of unpaid caregiving has significant implications for employers. According to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, 70% of working-age family caregivers are employed, while 60% of all family caregivers balance paid work with their caring responsibilities. The research also reveals how caring responsibilities affect working hours, financial stability and employees’ ability to manage their jobs. Among working caregivers:
- 49% had arrived late, left early or taken time off during the working day to provide care.
- 31% had exhausted their short-term savings.
- 18% had moved from full-time to part-time employment or reduced working hours because of caregiving.
- 49% of employed caregivers who were not self-employed said their supervisor knew about their caring responsibilities.
Although workplace support has improved since 2015, access remains uneven. Some 61% of working caregivers reported access to flexible working hours, compared with 53% a decade earlier. Access to paid family leave increased from 26% to 39%, while 37% reported having access to remote working arrangements.
However, salaried employees were more likely to have access to supportive benefits than hourly workers. The findings suggest millions of employees are balancing substantial caring responsibilities alongside their jobs, often without formal recognition or sufficient support. For employers, this creates potential challenges around workload planning, employee wellbeing, career development and retention. It also raises questions about whether workplace policies adequately reflect the realities of employees’ lives beyond work.
CAREGIVING IS TAKING A HIDDEN TOLL ON CAREERS
Previous Fair Play Talks reporting has highlighted how caring responsibilities are reshaping careers and creating additional pressures for employees. Earlier this year, research revealed that one in four American adults surveyed was part of the sandwich generation, simultaneously supporting children and ageing parents. The Care.com study found that these respondents spent almost 24 hours each week arranging, managing or providing care – effectively taking on another part-time job alongside paid employment.
The consequences for careers were substantial. Some 55% had turned down promotions, pay rises or other career opportunities, while 66% admitted hiding the full extent of their caring responsibilities from employers. Another 55% had considered leaving employment altogether. The findings suggest employees may be sacrificing career progression or struggling to maintain their working arrangements because employers do not fully understand the responsibilities they manage outside work.
Separately, earlier AARP and S&P Global research covered by Fair Play Talks found that seven in 10 working caregivers struggled to balance employment and caring responsibilities. Among those surveyed, 27% had reduced their hours or moved from full-time to part-time employment, while 16% had turned down a promotion and another 16% had stopped working for a period.
The study also found that 80% believed employers were more understanding of childcare responsibilities than adult caregiving. Together, these findings highlight why organisations need to recognise a broader range of caring responsibilities, including support for older parents, disabled relatives, partners and people with long-term medical conditions.
CAREGIVERS SACRIFICE SAVINGS AND RETIREMENT SECURITY
The financial cost of caring can also be substantial. A recent Edward Jones, Age Wave and Harris Poll study, found that more than 32 million US adults provide financial caregiving for somebody aged 65 or over. Among financial caregivers to older adults, 91% spend their own money each year supporting somebody in their care. Some 84% are not fully reimbursed, with affected caregivers paying an average of $8,737 annually out of pocket.
The study also found that 38% have stopped or reduced saving, while 25% have borrowed money, increased debt or delayed repayments. Another 18% have reduced or paused retirement contributions, potentially affecting their longer-term financial security. Perhaps most concerning, 81% say they would sacrifice their own financial security to help a loved one.
The research also found that caregivers supporting adults aged 65 or over provided an average of 109 hours of care every month, while 73% were also employed. These findings underline why family caregiving can have consequences far beyond immediate household finances. Reduced working hours, interrupted careers, missed promotions and lower retirement contributions may compound financial insecurity over time.
They also explain why caregivers may need support extending beyond traditional workplace wellbeing benefits. Financial guidance, paid carers’ leave, emergency assistance, flexible working and help navigating care services could all make a meaningful difference.
UNPAID CAREGIVING REPRESENTS MORE THAN $1 TRILLION IN ECONOMIC VALUE
The wider economic contribution of family caregivers is considerable. According to AARP’s Valuing the Invaluable 2026 report, unpaid family care provided to adults in the United States was worth an estimated $1.01 trillion in 2024. The study estimated that 59 million caregivers supporting adults provided approximately 49.5 billion hours of care during that year.
Valued at an average of $20.41 per hour, their contribution exceeded total federal, state and local Medicaid spending in 2024. The estimate illustrates the enormous role unpaid caregivers play in supporting America’s health and long-term care systems. However, the $1.01 trillion figure measures the estimated economic value of unpaid adult caregiving, rather than caregivers’ personal expenditure. It also covers a different population from the wider 63 million Americans providing care to loved ones.
Much of this work involves helping people with everyday activities, managing medication, coordinating medical appointments, arranging services, handling finances and providing emotional support. Without that contribution, millions of people would require additional formal health, social care or community assistance. Yet caregivers themselves can experience considerable financial, physical and emotional strain.
WORKING CARERS AND BURNOUT
Alongside financial and career pressures, caregiving can significantly affect employees’ physical and emotional wellbeing. Previous studies revealed that nearly two-thirds of sandwich-generation working women were at high risk of burnout. The research, from Cleo’s Family Health Index, was based on more than 19,200 assessments of working parents and caregivers. Women aged 40–54 – often in their peak earning and leadership years – were particularly affected, with 46% falling into the most severe burnout-risk category.
The findings highlight the pressures facing employees who must balance paid work with childcare, eldercare and other family responsibilities. These pressures may become particularly intense when care needs change unexpectedly following a diagnosis, hospital admission or deterioration in a loved one’s health.
For employers, recognising caregiving as a potential wellbeing and retention issue can help prevent employees from reaching crisis point before seeking assistance. However, workplace support needs to go beyond encouraging employees to become more resilient. Employers should also consider whether workloads, working hours, attendance requirements and benefit arrangements enable carers to maintain sustainable employment.
EXPANDING SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS
To mark National Family Caregivers Month, P&G is returning for a second year as a lead Care Out Loud partner, with CVS Pharmacy supporting activities and promotions aimed at caregivers. Between 1 and 14 November 2026, CVS ExtraCare members who spend $30 on eligible P&G products, including Always Discreet and Tide, will receive $10 in ExtraBucks Rewards under the campaign’s promotional offer.
The initiative aims to provide practical savings alongside access to information and resources. “Caregivers balance countless responsibilities, and access to trusted products, savings and health information can make a meaningful difference in their daily routines,” said Tim Dolan, Interim Vice President, Consumer Health Care at CVS Health. “We’re pleased to welcome caregivers to CVS Pharmacy for an event that recognizes the important role they play in the lives of others.”
Although everyday savings can offer practical assistance, the wider evidence on caregiving highlights the need for sustained financial, workplace and health support. Research suggests that many caregivers face costs extending well beyond household purchases, including reduced earnings, depleted savings and lost retirement contributions. For businesses supporting caregiving initiatives, the challenge is ensuring corporate social impact programmes provide meaningful assistance and complement longer-term efforts to recognise and support carers.
RECOGNISING EVERYDAY CARERS
On 8 November, Care Out Loud and P&G will host a Caregiving Hall of Fame event at CVS Pharmacy in Philadelphia, near Lincoln Financial Field. Drawing on P&G’s NFL partnership, the event will transform the parking lot of CVS Pharmacy at 3300–10 South Broad Street into a Hall of Fame-inspired experience celebrating everyday caregivers.
It will feature personal stories, recognition opportunities across the CVS, P&G and Care Out Loud communities, and displays highlighting products that support caregiving routines. Attendees will also have opportunities to speak with CVS pharmacists and access educational resources and general health and wellbeing information.
“For generations, P&G’s trusted brands have supported the daily routines that help people care for those who depend on them,” said Allison Tummon Kamphuis, Vice President, Citizenship at P&G. “Together with Care Out Loud, we’re bringing greater visibility and useful resources to the millions of people who care for loved ones every day. The Caregiving Hall of Fame celebrates their vital contributions, while meaningful savings at CVS Pharmacy and trusted brands like Crest, Head & Shoulders, Gillette and Pampers are helping make caregiving a little easier.”
The event forms part of the campaign’s wider effort to raise public awareness and recognise the contribution of people who may not consider themselves caregivers, even when they provide substantial daily assistance to loved ones.
THE STORY BEHIND CARE OUT LOUD
Actor, director and producer Bradley Cooper founded the One Family Foundation in 2013 in honour of his father, Charles Cooper, who died from lung cancer. As his father’s primary caregiver, Cooper experienced firsthand the emotional challenges of serious illness, the reversal of roles between parent and child, and the difficulties of navigating complex healthcare systems while meeting everyday care needs.
Despite having access to support and resources, he discovered how overwhelming and isolating caregiving could be. That experience inspired the foundation’s original mission to support families affected by cancer, which has since expanded to include people caring for loved ones with disabilities, chronic conditions and age-related needs.
It also inspired Care Out Loud’s mission: to make caregiving less invisible, easier to navigate and more widely recognised. Cooper has also helped bring caregivers’ experiences to a wider audience through the PBS documentary Caregiving, which he executive produced alongside WETA and Ark Media. The campaign’s public awareness activities include a national public service announcement featuring actor and caregiver Yvette Nicole Brown.
According to the foundation’s March 2026 announcement, the campaign had reached nearly 120 million people nationwide through donated, earned and owned media. It had also secured more than $5 million in donated media placements across broadcast, radio and digital channels, while reporting social media engagement rates nearly twice the industry average. These were the campaign’s reported results at that point, rather than updated totals for its second year.
CONNECTING CAREGIVERS WITH PRACTICAL RESOURCES
The Care Out Loud website provides a starting point for families navigating caring responsibilities. Resources include practical guidance, expert-vetted information, downloadable materials, advice on managing everyday tasks and conversation starters for difficult family discussions. The campaign also aims to help caregivers identify questions they may not realise they need to ask, particularly when responsibilities begin unexpectedly. Barron previously explained the thinking behind the initiative/
“Almost everyone will be a caregiver at some point in our lives, but few of us are actually prepared for it,” noted Barron. “Care Out Loud was built to show up like the friend who’s been through it – sharing information in a way that’s practical yet relatable. Someone who’s done the research, found what actually helps, and understands that caring for yourself is part of caring for someone else.”
The campaign is supported by lead sponsor CareScout, which helps families navigate ageing and caregiving, alongside founding partners P&G, Next 50 and Home Instead. Additional supporters include Calm, SonderMind, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation and Together for Supportive Cancer Care. Together, these partnerships reflect growing recognition of the need for practical resources, financial assistance and community support for millions of unpaid caregivers.
LISTENING TO CAREGIVERS
Care Out Loud has also outlined plans to convene paid caregiver focus groups across the United States to understand the challenges families face, identify gaps in existing support and explore which resources are most useful at different stages of caregiving. The initiative aims to ensure caregivers’ lived experiences help shape the campaign’s future resources and activities.
This is particularly important because caring responsibilities can vary considerably. Someone caring for a parent with dementia may face different challenges from a person supporting a partner receiving cancer treatment, a child with complex disabilities or a relative recovering from serious illness.
Caregiving may also involve navigating unfamiliar medical information, arranging paid support, coordinating appointments or making difficult financial and legal decisions. The campaign’s focus on listening to caregivers reflects the importance of designing resources around their actual needs rather than assuming that one type of support will work for everyone. However, awareness campaigns and practical resources alone cannot eliminate the financial pressures, employment barriers and gaps in formal care provision that many families experience.
WHY FLEXIBLE WORKING MATTERS FOR CARERS
For working caregivers, flexibility can make the difference between remaining in employment and having to reduce hours or leave a job. Earlier studies revealed that three-quarters of working parents believed their working arrangements did not fit modern family life. That US study, involving more than 5,400 parents, found that 72% wanted greater flexibility to spend time with their children.
Another study revealed that one in three UK parents with children under seven had left a job because they could not access flexible working. Although these findings come from different countries and populations, they highlight the importance of workplace flexibility for employees with caring responsibilities.
For working carers, flexibility may allow them to attend medical appointments, coordinate care, respond to emergencies or adapt working patterns when a relative’s needs change. However, flexibility should not automatically come at the expense of career opportunities. Employers also need to ensure that employees who use flexible arrangements are not overlooked for promotions, professional development or leadership positions.
CARING FOR LOVED ONES WITH CANCER AND CHRONIC ILLNESSES
Cancer and serious chronic illness can create particularly intense periods of caregiving. Employees may need to coordinate hospital appointments, treatment schedules, medication, practical support and emergencies while continuing to manage their jobs.
Recent research revealed that an estimated 1.1 million working adults in the UK care for somebody with cancer. The study from Working With Cancer, highlighted the growing impact of cancer on employees and employers, including the importance of flexible working, carers’ leave, temporary workload adjustments and compassionate management.
The findings reinforce why workplace policies should recognise employees caring for people with serious illnesses, rather than focusing exclusively on childcare or eldercare. They also illustrate the potential value of campaigns such as Care Out Loud, which grew from the One Family Foundation’s original work supporting families affected by cancer.
HOW EMPLOYERS CAN SUPPORT WORKING CARERS
As caring responsibilities become more common among employees, businesses have an opportunity to strengthen support through workplace policies, benefits and management practices. Recommendations include:
- Recognise caregiving as part of working life. Employers should acknowledge that many employees support older relatives, disabled family members, partners or children with complex needs, often without formally identifying themselves as carers.
- Make flexible working accessible. Flexible hours, hybrid arrangements, remote working where possible and predictable schedules can help employees balance paid work with medical appointments, care coordination and unexpected family responsibilities.
- Offer meaningful leave and emergency support. Paid carers’ leave where possible, emergency leave and temporary adjustments to working arrangements can help prevent employees from having to choose between employment and caring responsibilities.
- Provide financial wellbeing resources. Caregiving can affect earnings, savings, debt and retirement security. Employers should consider financial education, appropriate benefits and access to independent guidance.
- Help employees navigate care services. Eldercare assistance, access to reliable resources, legal guidance and care-planning support can make complex responsibilities easier to manage.
- Train managers and protect confidentiality. Employees should be able to discuss caring responsibilities without automatically being perceived as less committed, ambitious or capable. Managers should know what support is available and how to respond sensitively.
- Protect career opportunities. Organisations should review whether employees with caring responsibilities are being overlooked for promotion, training, development or other opportunities because of their working arrangements.
- Support wellbeing before burnout develops. Managers should recognise that employees may experience significant emotional and physical pressures outside work, even when their professional performance remains strong.
- Recognise different types of care. Workplace policies should support people caring for older relatives, children, disabled family members and loved ones with serious or long-term health conditions.
Employers should also recognise that employees may not always feel comfortable disclosing the full extent of their caring responsibilities. Creating an inclusive environment means making support accessible, protecting privacy and ensuring that asking for help does not jeopardise career progression.
RECOGNITION MUST ACCOMPANY PRACTICAL SUPPORT
National Family Caregivers Month provides an opportunity to recognise the millions of people whose unpaid contributions sustain families, communities and healthcare systems. Campaigns such as Care Out Loud can help raise awareness, connect people with resources and give greater visibility to caregivers whose work often takes place behind closed doors.
However, as the latest research suggests, recognition must be accompanied by meaningful support. With 63 million American adults providing care, seven in 10 working-age caregivers balancing employment alongside their responsibilities and the annual economic value of unpaid adult caregiving estimated at more than $1 trillion, care is a major social and economic issue. The financial sacrifices reinforce that point. Many caregivers are not simply giving their time. They are also spending their own money, reducing savings, delaying retirement contributions and making career decisions shaped by the needs of others.
For employers, this means recognising that caring responsibilities may affect some of their most experienced and valuable employees. For businesses investing in caregiving initiatives, it means looking beyond awareness campaigns towards lasting improvements in access to information, financial support, workplace flexibility and employee wellbeing.
And for society more broadly, it means acknowledging that unpaid care has enormous value, even when it does not appear in conventional measures of economic activity. As Care Out Loud enters its second year, its central message is increasingly relevant: caregivers deserve not only recognition for what they contribute, but meaningful support to protect their own lives, health, careers and futures.
For more information on support services and resources for carers check out Care Out Loud.
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