Surgeon General’s Advisory: Parenting is a Health Issue

September 3, 2024

updated: Sept 2, 2025

In 2024, the Surgeon General issued a warning that parenting is a health issue and it sounded like a turning point. Finally, the government acknowledged what parents live every day. But here we are over a year later and little has changed. No new advisories, no sweeping legislation and federal family leave remains unpaid. A few states have expanded their programs, but the reality is most of us are still on our own.

Meanwhile, studies show maternal mental health has dropped sharply, one in three families are still dealing with post-pandemic stress, and nearly 30% of parents in the State of Parenting 2025 survey admitted they’d considered self-harm because the pressure feels unbearable. The system hasn’t caught up, so it’s up to us to protect our health.

That doesn’t mean “self-care” in the Instagram sense, it means doing the things research shows actually work:

• Building a small but reliable support network—neighbors, a parent group, or even one trusted friend—helps buffer against burnout.
• Protecting your sleep and taking real recovery time, whether that’s a nap, a walk, or even zoning out with a hobby, has been shown to make us more patient and nurturing with our kids.
• If you have a partner, getting clear about roles and responsibilities.

These strategies aren’t flashy, but they’re evidence-based and they work. Until policy catches up, the best thing we can do is take our own health seriously and try to put real supports in place.

Parenting is a Health Issue: Quick Stats

• In 2023, 33% of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults.
• 41% of parents say that most days they are so stressed they cannot function
• 66% of parents report feeling consumed by worries regarding money compared to 39% of other adults in 2023.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy whose also a Dad of 2 notes that parents experience unique pressures as shown in the numbers above. Stressors related to raising children, such as financial strain, time demands, concerns about children’s health and safety, isolation, and challenges with technology and social media ae very real.

Additionally, some parents and caregivers are disproportionately affected by mental health conditions, especially those dealing with family or community violence, poverty, or discrimination. Supporting parents is crucial for the well-being of both children and society, and requires policy changes and expanded community programs to provide paid leave, affordable childcare, and other essential resources.

We know the problem, what’s the Answer?

In response to these pressures, the Surgeon General’s Advisory urges a cultural, policy, and programmatic shift to support the well-being of parents and caregivers. It emphasizes the need to change societal norms to value and empower them, addressing the stressors impacting their mental health. This means:

1. companies expanding paid family leave
2. improving early childhood education
3. investing in mental health care and access
4. providing recommendations for governments, employers, and communities to reduce stress and better support parents and caregivers

Achieving each of these 4 goals will be an ongoing effort within our communities, health systems and the private sector. FOr now the Advisory serves as a call to action. As the website states, Surgeon General’s Advisories are public statements that call the American people’s attention to a critical public health issue.

Like many in the maternal health sector, Let Mommy Sleep continues to advocate for new parents and their health. Our 501c3 Mission Sleep provides free newborn care to parents whose partners are deployed, wounded or deceased. We will also continue to strive for sensible health insurance and postpartum visits. In the meantime these resources might be a help your family:

Crisis Text Line for mental health support: text BRAVE to 741741

Medicaid’s Paid Caregiver Program: If someone with a disability already receives Medicaid, their state may allow a family member or friend to become a paid caregiver.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – Monthly cash assistance payments to low-income families with children, as well as additional services.