CoverMom Guide
What a Mom Is Worth
Most of what moms do never shows up on a paycheck. But put a price on it, and the number is hard to ignore. Here's what that means for protecting your family.
1. The job that never clocks out
Being a mom is a 24/7 job, and a lot of it happens at the same time. You're the driver, the cook, the nurse and the homework helper, often all before 8 a.m.
One estimate tried to put a salary on it. Insure.com's 2025 Mother's Day Index priced 19 everyday mom roles at what those jobs pay, using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wages. Some of those roles are childcare worker, teacher, cook, chauffeur and counselor.
Because moms do several of those jobs at once, the roles add up to about 183 hours a week. The total came to:
$145,235 a year
Source: Insure.com Mother's Day Index, 2025
No one's sending you that check. But your family is counting on that work every day.
2. What it would cost to replace that care
If a mom couldn't be there, someone would still need to do the work, and most of that help costs money.
Nanny: $870 a week
Daycare: $332 a week
Childcare's share of household income: About 20%
Source: Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report
That's just the childcare. It doesn't count the driving, the cooking, the appointments or the hundred small things that keep a home running.
Moms carry more of it. In homes with kids under 6, women spend about 2.8 hours a day on hands-on childcare, compared with 1.7 hours for men.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey (2025 data, released June 2026)
3. Stay-at-home moms need coverage too
A lot of families insure the paycheck and skip the parent at home. That's understandable, but it leaves a gap. Even with no paycheck, a stay-at-home mom's work has real dollar value, and it would cost a lot to replace.
Women are less likely to be covered than men:
49% of women have life insurance, compared with 55% of men.
41% of women (about 50 million) say they need coverage, or need more of it.
Only 25% of women feel very knowledgeable about life insurance, compared with 38% of men.
Source: LIMRA and Life Happens, Insurance Barometer Study (2025–2026)
That last number is why this guide exists. Understanding comes first, and the decision is yours.
4. Two ways to protect your family, in plain English
Term life: simple and affordable
- Covers you for a set period, like 10, 20 or 30 years, usually while kids are growing up or the mortgage is being paid.
- If you pass away during that time, your beneficiary gets the money. Your beneficiary is the person you choose to receive it.
- It's usually the lowest-cost way to get a meaningful amount of coverage.
- Good fit if: you want to cover the years your family needs you most.
Permanent life with long-term care benefits: protection that lasts
- Designed to last your whole life, as long as premiums are paid.
- Some policies can also help pay for long-term care if you need help with daily living later in life.
- Some build cash value over time. How much depends on the policy, and it isn't guaranteed to grow.
- It costs more than term for the same death benefit.
- Good fit if: you want lifelong coverage and some help planning for care costs down the road.
Not sure which fits? That's normal. Many families start with term, and some use both.
5. How much coverage might you need?
There's no one right number. A simple way to start thinking about it:
- Replace your care. What would childcare and household help cost until your youngest is grown?
- Cover big goals. The mortgage, college and any debts.
- Add income, if you earn one.
- Subtract what you already have, like savings or coverage through work.
Want help with the math? Ask Bob, our AI guide, or start your Family Discovery and a licensed CoverFam agent will walk through it with you.
6. Ready when you are
You hold a lot together. Making sure your family is protected, even on the hard days, is one more way you do it.
Sources
- Insure.com, Mother's Day Index 2025. Reported May 11, 2025 by InsuranceNewsNet — https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/study-says-moms-home-labor-worth-six-figures
- Care.com, 2026 Cost of Care Report (published Feb 3, 2026) — https://www.care.com/c/how-much-does-child-care-cost
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey, 2025 results (released June 25, 2026) — https://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm
- LIMRA and Life Happens, Insurance Barometer Study, "Facts About Life Insurance: Women" (2026) — https://www.limra.com/siteassets/newsroom/liam/2026/facts-about-life-insurance---women.pdf
CoverFam is a brand of Lasa Links Insurance, Inc., a licensed insurance agency. When you buy coverage through us, we earn a commission. It's built into the premium, so you don't pay extra. This guide is for education only and isn't financial, tax or legal advice. Coverage, pricing and benefits depend on the insurer, underwriting and your state. Long-term care benefits and cash value vary by policy and are not guaranteed.