What Parents Want Most: Quality Time — Key Findings From the 2026 National Parent Survey

A major national survey of more than 5,000 parents reveals a clear and consistent finding: what families want most is not a better school, a different neighborhood, or a higher paycheck — it is more time. Specifically, more quality time with their children.

The 2026 National Parent Survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for New America's New Practice Lab, gathered responses from 5,472 parents, including 2,915 lower-income parents. The survey is among the largest representative studies of U.S. parents undertaken in recent years, and its findings paint a detailed picture of what families across income levels are experiencing.

The Quality Time Gap

Seventy-two percent of parents surveyed said they wish for more quality time with their children. That number holds across family types, income levels, and geography — a near-universal desire that cuts through the specific circumstances of individual families.

For lower-income families, however, the desire runs into a concrete barrier: 47 percent of parents with household income below 100 percent of the federal poverty level said they cannot spend their time the way they would like because they cannot afford to. Financial pressure does not just reduce quality of life — it actively limits how much time families can access.

Work Flexibility and the Gig Economy

One of the more striking findings is how families are adapting. Among lower-income working parents, 24 percent reported shifting to gig or platform-based work specifically for the greater schedule flexibility it provides — compared to 10 percent of higher-income parents.

Gig work often comes with tradeoffs: lower wages, no employer benefits, and income instability. But the data suggests that for a significant portion of lower-income families, the ability to control their own schedule is worth those costs. The survey does not treat this as a positive outcome — it frames it as a signal of how constrained the choices are.

Child Care Costs Remain the Primary Barrier

More than half of all parents in the survey named child care cost as the primary barrier to the child care arrangement they would ideally want. For Colorado Springs families, this finding will resonate: center-based infant care in the area can exceed $1,200 per month, and availability of subsidized slots is limited relative to demand.

Colorado's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) provides financial help to qualifying families. In El Paso County, the program is administered by the Department of Human Services. Families can call 719-444-5000 or visit cdhs.colorado.gov/ccap for eligibility information and to apply.

Gender and the Burden of Basic Needs

The survey also documented a gender gap in how parents experience financial pressure. Forty-three percent of mothers with young children said they had struggled to meet their family's basic needs "often" or "sometimes" over the past year. Among fathers, that figure was 34 percent. The gap reflects the persistent reality of caregiving and income disparities that still fall disproportionately on women in U.S. households.

What's Next

The 2026 National Parent Survey continues to yield findings that are being released in stages by New America throughout the year. Full survey results, methodology, and policy recommendations are available at newamerica.org. For Colorado Springs families experiencing child care cost pressure, CCAP is the primary local resource — call El Paso County DHS at 719-444-5000 to ask about eligibility.