Texas parents want more childcare flexibility, time with kids, survey says
Parents want more time with their children, and most are also unsatisfied with their current work and childcare schedule, according to a new national survey that includes insights from Texas parents.
The National Parent Survey released this week shows a 2026 snapshot of what parents’ work, parental leave and childcare arrangements look like, and what their ideal scenarios would be. The survey included responses from almost 5,500 parents from every U.S. state with children under 6 years old. Money is the main barrier that’s preventing this quality time with children; more than half of the respondents earn under 200% of the federal poverty level, or just under $55,000 for a family of three.
The survey was conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago on behalf of New America’s New Practice Lab. New America is a left-leaning policy think tank based in D.C.
“Too many parents are forced to choose between showing up for their kids and making enough to provide for them. There is a gap between what families actually say they need and the public policies we are offering to support them in raising their kids,” said Tara Dawson McGuinness, executive director of New America’s New Practice Lab.
Some of the findings of the survey include:
- 72% of parents surveyed want more quality time with their children, such as traveling, playing and enjoying the outdoors; 52% of parents said lack of affordability to do such activities and working longer hours to support their household both get in the way of quality time
- 59% of parents took six weeks or fewer of paid or unpaid parental leave after the birth of their youngest child; 55% said they wanted more parental leave time
- 54% of parents said money is the top obstacle that’s preventing them from accessing their ideal childcare arrangement
“Higher wages are the single most-requested change that parents say would improve their ability to have their ideal work situation, making it easier to manage their time, care for their families and do more of what matters to them,” according to the survey.
Here’s how surveyed Texas parents weighed in on some of these topics:
- 73% of Texas parents said they would like to spend more quality time with their children
- 31% of Texas parents said they can’t afford to participate in activities they would like to do, such as quality time with their children or leisure time
- 47% of Texas parents said finances are standing in the way of obtaining their ideal childcare arrangement
- When asked to select a combination of sources that would make up their ideal childcare arrangement, at least 70% of Texas parents said they would provide care themselves or their spouse would. Moreover, 62% said another relative would provide care, while 49% said their child would attend a school-based program such as pre-K.
Texas experts emphasize need for childcare solutions
Texas experts said the survey emphasizes the importance of asking parents what they need and then using those insights to create solutions, especially for childcare.
“The survey makes clear that childcare is a real challenge for families. Parents need options. We’re glad the (Texas) Legislature has taken steps in the right direction, including the childcare funding they approved last year. But there’s clearly more work to do. We’re hopeful that more policymakers are realizing that affordable childcare should be a priority,” said Stephanie Rubin, CEO of policy nonprofit Texans Care for Children.
Texas lawmakers in 2025 approved $100 million in childcare scholarships and services through 2027, but inflation thwarted plans of reaching more families in need through the funding.
It’s vital for Texas to build a system where families can choose among relatives, childcare providers, pre-K and Head Start to meet their needs while also allowing business owners to thrive in the sector, said Kim Kofron, executive director of early childhood education at Texas-based research and advocacy nonprofit Children at Risk.
Kofron noted she was a little surprised that the percentage of Texas parents who identified finances as an obstacle to their ideal childcare arrangement wasn’t higher.
“Childcare relies on educators, i.e. people that are needed in every classroom to watch every child. Many of whom aren’t paid a self-sustaining wage in the current system, and it still isn’t cheap. So, the question becomes not ‘How do we make child care cheaper?’ but ‘How do we support families with the cost of child care?’” Kofron said.
The desire for a variety of childcare options by Texans was also voiced by parents nationwide. One in five overall would prefer a combination of care by a family member in addition to a school-based program or childcare center.
“No single preferred work schedule is chosen by more than 46% of parents, no single child care arrangement by more than 31%, and no single leave duration by more than 38%, suggesting that parents’ needs are genuinely plural,” according to the survey.
Among the policy solutions proposed by researchers are higher wages and stronger retirement security to offset the loss of earnings for parents whose paid working hours are reduced when their children are young.
“Beyond income, parents need generous paid family and medical leave benefits and access to affordable child care of their choice,” according to the survey.
