Just under three-fifths (58%) of parents said either they or their partner had been asked to work in the office more frequently by their employer in the last six months, according to research by childcare app Bubble.
Its analysis of nearly 100,000 childcare and babysitting requests, which compared demand in the first 10 weeks of 2025 versus the first 10 weeks of 2023, also found that 50% of parents had to make new or additional childcare arrangements in the last year due to changing expectations around office attendance, or that of their partner.
More than two thirds (69%) were worried about how the return-to-office trend might affect their work and childcare arrangements in the coming months, and that if they or their partner are asked to work in the office more frequently, they are not well set up to arrange additional childcare.
Almost two-thirds (61%) worked hybrid, with 19% working fully remotely. Nearly a quarter (24%) lived more than an hour away from their place of work.
In addition, the number of families looking for routine childcare to cover the school run between 7-8am or 2-3pm has increased by 41% since January 2023. Requests for regular childcare starting at 7am have increased by 58%, requests starting at 2pm have risen by 43%, and requests starting at 5pm have jumped by 53%.
Ari Last, chief executive officer and co-founder of Bubble, said: “The shift back to office-based work is putting enormous pressure on parents, forcing them to arrange additional childcare just to keep up. Our data shows a clear surge in demand for early morning and evening care, as families struggle to bridge the gaps left by rigid office mandates.
“This isn’t sustainable. Employers need to recognise that childcare isn’t just a personal issue, it’s a workforce issue. Organisations that want to retain top talent should be offering tangible solutions, whether that’s subsidised childcare, flexible-working arrangements, or partnerships with platforms to help parents manage care more easily.”
