Having children changes your financial life. Most parents know this intuitively. A new national survey now quantifies exactly how much — and the numbers are significant enough to take seriously, especially for families in Colorado Springs navigating housing costs, child care expenses, and a competitive local economy.

The 2026 National Parent Survey, conducted by New America, surveyed 5,472 parents from every region of the country, including 2,915 parents with lower incomes. It asked families about child care needs, employment and work changes since having children, household finances, parenting challenges, use of parental leave, and time preferences. The picture that emerges is one of families making difficult tradeoffs — and the burden not being distributed equally.

Child Care as the Central Cost

Child care costs are consistently cited across the survey as a central financial pressure for families. In Colorado Springs, that pressure is real. The average cost of center-based child care for an infant in Colorado can exceed $1,200 per month, and for families with multiple young children, those costs can exceed what one parent earns in a month of work.

Colorado has a Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) that subsidizes child care costs for income-eligible families. El Paso County administers CCAP locally. Eligibility, subsidy amounts, and waitlists vary, and families interested in assistance should contact El Paso County Department of Human Services for current availability.

Work Decisions Families Are Making

The survey found that many parents are making significant employment changes in response to the financial and logistical demands of raising children — reducing hours, switching to jobs with more flexible scheduling, or leaving the workforce entirely, at least temporarily. These decisions have compounding effects: short-term income loss can translate to long-term career and retirement impacts, particularly for the parent who steps back most significantly, who is most often the mother.

The survey also found that most parents want more flexibility in when and how they work, and that access to that flexibility varies significantly by income, job type, and employer.

What's Next

Colorado Springs families looking for child care assistance can contact El Paso County Department of Human Services at 719-444-5000 or visit elpasoco.com/human-services. Information on Colorado's Child Care Assistance Program is available at cdhs.colorado.gov/ccap. The full 2026 National Parent Survey report is available at newamerica.org. COS Parenting will continue to report on local resources and national research that affects Colorado Springs families.