In 2025, 63 million American adults provided ongoing care to adults or children with a medical condition or disability—representing almost one-quarter of all adults in the United States, and a 45 percent increase over the previous decade. Caregiving responsibilities, largely unpaid and with limited external resources available to offset the burden, impact the productivity and wellness of a growing segment of local residents and local government employees.

To understand the degree to which local governments are aware of or taking actions related to family caregiving needs, ICMA partnered with the National Academy for State Health Policy and The John A. Hartford Foundation to conduct a national survey of local governments in January 2026. Results suggest opportunities for local governments to leverage their unique capacity as an employer, a key community voice, and in policymaking and budgeting to help connect family caregivers with available resources.