U.S. moms are experiencing a sharp decline in mental health

Likewise, it now takes a salary of about $180,000 per year to comfortably afford childcare, according to a 2025 analysis from the National Women’s Law Center. Those high costs have been driving some parents, most commonly moms, to stay home. However, given that most families need two incomes to get by, they aren’t just child-rearing at home, they’re also working. That means more stay-at-home moms are essentially doing two jobs at once, creating a potential firestorm of stress.