What does cutting back for care really cost?

When a parent needs more help, someone in the family usually goes part-time, and it is often decided without anyone saying it out loud. Care.com's 2026 survey of 1,000 sandwich-generation caregivers found that 55% had turned down a promotion, raise or new opportunity because of their caring responsibilities.

This calculator is for the conversation before that happens. It adds up the pay you'd give up and the retirement contributions that go with it. It deliberately doesn't assume any investment growth, so the figures are what you'd put in, not a forecast of what it might grow to.

Before you agree to go part-time

• Ask who else could take a share. If two siblings each cut back 20%, the family carries the same load and nobody's career takes the full hit.
• Compare it with paid help. If a few hours of paid care a week costs less than the pay you'd lose, the numbers may favour paying, even if it feels like the more expensive choice.
• Check the rules on your pension. Some workplace schemes and US 401(k) plans have matching or vesting rules that change when hours drop. Your HR team or plan provider can tell you what applies.
• Write down a review date. "Until things settle" can become years. A date to look again keeps it a choice.

Who this usually falls to

Pew Research Center reported in August 2026 that 54% of Americans in their 40s, and 45% in their 50s, are in the sandwich generation: they have a parent aged 65 or older and are raising a child or supporting an adult child. If that's you, the trade-offs above aren't unusual. They're just rarely written down.