The fourth annual report reveals key shifts in family-friendly benefits including a continued uptick in employee-sponsored child care and a decline in dependent health care coverage.

FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, The Best Place for Working Parents®, the national network of businesses and regions across the U.S. committed to implementing evidence-based, family-friendly strategies that support their working parents AND their business, has released its fourth annual National Trends Report in partnership with Empactiv Analytics detailing the state of family-friendly benefits in 2025.

The 2025 National Trends Report reviews the implementation of the Top 10 research-backed, family-friendly policies across The Best Place for Working Parents® National Network. This year’s report analyzes benefit trends by region, industry, and size, highlighting the rise and evolution of employer child care policies. The report offers critical insights for leaders on how benefit offerings are changing in a tough economy and how companies can gain a competitive edge. The full report can be read HERE.

“Now in its fourth year, the data is telling a clear story: supporting working parents is a winning business strategy. Even in a challenging economy, we’re seeing companies, especially small businesses, get creative with their benefits, often prioritizing more flexible, family-friendly policies like child care assistance over traditional offerings,” said Sadie Funk, National Director of The Best Place for Working Parents. “This year’s trends show that family-friendly policies are not just perks but essential investments in workforce stability and business performance. Companies that adapt to these trends are not just reacting to change – they are leading it.”

A few of the key findings from the report include:

1. Health care and child care benefits are inversely trending. Dependent health care benefits have declined since peaking at 93% in 2023, with only 74% of organizations offering them in 2025. Meanwhile, child care benefits, especially child care assistance, are on the rise with nearly 60% of small businesses now providing child care assistance. This divergence underscores the growing role of child care in supporting workforce participation and retention.
2. Nursing benefits have reached a tipping point. Nearly 90% of businesses now offer nursing benefits. This policy is rapidly becoming a standard policy expectation. While adoption continues to grow steadily overall, year-to-year variation across industries signals that many organizations are still transitioning, making this a critical moment for leaders to evaluate and strengthen this impactful postpartum support.
3. Family-friendly policies are increasingly being used as a competitive differentiator. We continue to see growth in Best Place for Working Parents® designations, particularly among micro and small businesses. Even amid market challenges, companies are largely retaining their family-friendly benefits, underscoring a shared understanding that these policies are essential investments in workforce stability and business performance.

This study analyzed data from nearly 4,000 U.S. businesses between December 11, 2019, and December 15, 2025.. The analysis reveals which types of organizations across the country are providing family-friendly policies that support working parents and improve business outcomes. The Best Place for Working Parents® network now extends to 24 regions across 14 states in the United States, impacting over 5 million employees.

The 2025 National Trends Report from The Best Place for Working Parents® offers a detailed comparison of companies by size, industry, and region and can be read HERE.

About The Best Place for Working Parents®
The Best Place for Working Parents® is a growing network of businesses across the U.S. dedicated to providing support for working parents through evidence-based strategies, proving that family-friendly is business-friendly. The Best Place for Working Parents® offers a competitive designation that recognizes innovation across the top ten research-backed family-friendly policies that help working parent employees and boost employers’ bottom line. Businesses can qualify to become a Best Place for Working Parents® business designation by taking the first-of-its-kind business online self-assessment. Learn more at https://bestplace4workingparents.com.

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SOURCE The Best Place for Working Parents®