U.S. childcare costs are astronomical. More families are turning to grandparents

Grandparents taking care of their grandkids is nothing new. But the surging cost of childcare in the U.S. has made familial support even more critical for some parents who struggle to afford it.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4500x3000+0+0/resize/4500x3000!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F03%2F92e4045e40a5a23408a90fbfcdba%2F20260819grandparents181.jpg' alt='Stacia Bourne (left) and her mother, Mary Jo Galusha, spend time with Bourne's children at Galusha's home in Newark, Delaware. Galusha, a retired schoolteacher, moved from Idaho to assist her daughter's family. With rising childcare costs in the U.S., grandparents are offering increased support.'/><p>Grandparents taking care of their grandkids is nothing new. But the surging cost of childcare in the U.S. has made familial support even more critical for some parents who struggle to afford it.</p><p>(Image credit: Lianne Milton for NPR)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5963506' />