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Caregiver supporting special needs child doing coloring activity

Support for special needs caregivers

Nearly one in four adults is a caregiver, often struggling to juggle work and caregiving responsibilities. For those caring for individuals with special needs, the demands are even greater. The need for support is urgent and we’re here to help.1

Employee resources

Caring for a loved one with special needs can be meaningful—more than 90% of caregivers find purpose in the role.2 But with 27 hours of care each week and one-third also raising children, support is essential.1 That’s why we help employees balance caregiving with their careers.

Workplace support

Caregiving affects every workplace—three in four caregiver employees say caregiving affects their job or career, and most report burnout.2
 

Benefits can make the difference when life gets complex. Integrated claims, guided leave support, and caring specialists help employees access what they need quickly and confidently. A focus on whole-person wellbeing—through EAP counseling, financial-wellness tools, grief support, and mental-health programs—helps them stay balanced and supported.

happy caregiver spending time with special needs child in wheelchair

For employees

  • Disability insurance
    Provides income protection when illness, injury, or mental-health conditions keep an employee from working, with flexible return-to-work options

  • Absence & leave management
    Coordinates FMLA, state leave, and employer programs so caregivers can take time for appointments or emergencies without losing career momentum
     
  • Life insurance
    Delivers financial security for families, with guidance on planning for dependents who need lifelong support
     
  • Voluntary benefits
    Accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity pay cash benefits after covered events—money employees can use for living expenses, respite care, or out-of-pocket medical costs

For employers

Employers play a key role in supporting the caregivers in their workforce. These resources offer data and insights to help shape responsive benefit strategies.
 
  • Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 Report
    The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP’s new study offers an in-depth look at America’s 63 million family caregivers

  • New Special Needs Caregiver Study
    The latest research from New York Life reveals how employees caring for dependents with lifelong needs balance work, wellbeing, and financial strain—with insights employers can act on

Specialized resources

These publicly available resources may provide valuable support throughout a caregiver’s journey.5 

Planning and financial guidance

Daily care and advocacy

Emotional and peer support

business woman talking on mobile phone indoors

Turn caregiver insights into action

Connect with your broker or contact us to learn how benefit design and wellbeing programs can better support employees with lifelong caregiver responsibilities.

Contact us

1AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving. Caregiving in the U.S. 2025. Washington, DC: AARP.  July 2025. https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00373.001 

2New York Life Group Benefit Solutions and Morning Consult survey (Sep 16–21, 2025) of 240 employed U.S. adults caring for a special-needs dependent; online; gender-weighted; MOE ±6

3For eligible participants only. These programs are NOT insurance and do not provide reimbursement for financial losses. Some restrictions may apply. Customers are required to pay the entire discounted charge for any discounted products or services available through these programs. Some services are available at the option of the employer for an additional cost. Programs are provided through third party vendors who are solely responsible for their products and services. Full terms, conditions and exclusions are contained in the applicable client program description and are subject to change. Program availability may vary by plan type and location and are not available where prohibited by law. Health Care Support is not available for individuals in Washington. Services are provided exclusively by ComPsych®. ComPsych is solely responsible for its services and is not affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company or any of its affiliates. Some of these programs are not available under policies issued by New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY.

4Balance Wellbeing with New York Life is currently available as a workplace benefit through participating employers. Balance Wellbeing is brought to you by New York Life Insurance Company. The information provided on BalanceWellbeing.com is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as tax, legal, investment, or retirement advice and is not intended to market or sell any specific product. It may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any state, federal, or other taxes. Neither New York Life Insurance Company nor its agents provide tax, legal, or financial accounting advice. Please consult your own tax, legal, or accounting professional before making any decisions. While the content is derived from sources believed to be accurate, we do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Neither the information presented, nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security.  

Participation in any Balance Wellbeing service is optional at no cost, and access is not conditioned on the purchase of insurance, retirement, investment products and services from New York Life Insurance Company.   

Individuals have a choice to engage with New York Life Insurance Company agents for financial guidance and to purchase insurance and other products and services. If individuals choose to do so, those engagements will be governed by the particular applicable terms and conditions.  

Neither New York Life Insurance Company nor any of its subsidiaries make any representations as to the completeness or accuracy of information that is provided by third-party vendors accessible through the site. Neither New York Life Insurance Company nor any of its subsidiaries are liable for any direct or indirect technical or systems issues or any consequences arising out of your access to, or your use of third-party technologies, sites, information, and programs made available through this website. Please review third-party terms and conditions and privacy policies, all of which are separate from and unrelated to New York Life Insurance Company. 

This offering is available to NYL GBS clients with life and insured disability products. It is not available to clients with disability only who are sitused in WA and NY.

5The organizations providing the publicly available resources listed are not affiliated with New York Life Group Benefit Solutions.

©2025, New York Life Insurance Company, New York, NY.  All rights reserved.  NEW YORK LIFE and the New York Life box logo are registered trademarks of New York Life Insurance Company. New York Life Group Benefit Solutions products and services are provided by Life Insurance Company of North America, New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY, and New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation, subsidiaries of New York Life Insurance Company. Life Insurance Company of North America is not authorized in NY and does not conduct business in NY.