Key takeaways:
- Sixteen million Americans are sandwich caregivers, simultaneously caring for both children and adults.
- Among family caregivers under 50, nearly half (47%) fall into this category, compared to just 14% of older caregivers.
- The data reveals interconnected care that defies our segmented and siloed policy infrastructure.
America faces an unprecedented caregiving reality. According to Caregiving in the US 2025 research, 63 million adults provide care for other adults with disabilities or serious medical conditions—a 46% increase since 2015. Combined with the 91 million Americans caring for children, approximately 130 million people are engaged in caregiving. This is the floor, not the ceiling. Yet we continue to treat child care and care for sick, aging, and disabled people as separate policy challenges, ignoring the integrated reality of family life. It is time for a new, comprehensive research and policy agenda.