Caregiving, Coming to PBS in Spring 2025

A new documentary and national engagement campaign on the state and stakes of providing care in America.

Caregiving | Trailer

In the U.S., it is estimated that between 53 million to 105.6 million adults provide unpaid caregiving for ill, aging, or disabled family members and friends. In addition, an estimated 5.4 million children and adolescents in the U.S. are direct caregivers. As caregiving in America faces the twin pressures of an aging baby boomer generation and rising life expectancy, the United States’ long-term care system threatens to tip into crisis. The film will personalize this urgent national issue through stories from caregivers and interviews with experts as they fight to give caregivers the security and support they provide for so many others. The project also includes a robust national engagement campaign.

The feature-length documentary and accompanying short films will examine caregiving from multiple perspectives: the creation and evolution of the care system; the social dynamics that shape our approach to caregiving today and the future possibilities; the lives of caregivers and their relationships with those in their care; the interpersonal and economic pressures faced by caregivers; and the broader societal context in which caregiving operates on the margins, yet affects everyone. Caregiving will air on PBS & WellBeings.org in 2025.

The Numbers Behind the Issues

• According to a recent Rand Report, it is estimated that between 53 million to 105.6 million U.S. adults provide unpaid caregiving for family and friends.  
• An estimated 5.4 million children and adolescents in the U.S. are direct caregivers for family members. 
• There are five million paid caregivers nationally in the U.S., as of 2023. 
• The value of the care provided by unpaid family caregivers across the U.S. was $600 billion in 2021, according to a 2023 AARP report.
• Median annual earnings for direct care workers in the U.S. are $23,688.13, as of a 2023 report.

“A majority of Americans cannot afford to take care of their families. They see it as their responsibility, and often their failure. To get by, they cobble together solutions, even quitting their jobs to look after a loved one – a newborn, a parent, a friend, or an in-law. Things are getting worse as baby boomers age into their 70s. We are facing a social crisis as America’s piecemeal and expensive care infrastructure, created a half century ago, has reached a breaking point.”

AI-JEN POO & DR. BENJAMIN W. VEGHTE Architects of Universal Family Care, New York Times

Share Your Story

We invite caregivers of all ages to share their personal stories, videos, photos, and reflections to offer hope, foster understanding, build community, and break down stigma surrounding caregiving. You can easily submit your video via social media using the hashtag #WellBeings or email your story to info@wellbeings.org. Your submission may be featured in the We Are Well Beings Storywall. The We Are Well Beings Storywall is made possible through the generous support of Otsuka and People.

Share your caregiving journey and contribute to the collective strength and resilience of our online community as we support each other through the highs and lows of caregiving.

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Caregiving is a production of Lea Pictures and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark media. Chris Durrance serves as Director for Ark media. Barak Goodman is Series Producer, Chris Durrance is Senior Producer and Ruth Fertig is Producer for Ark media. Executive Producers for Lea Pictures are Bradley Cooper and Weston Middleton. Executive Producers for WETA are John F. Wilson and Tom Chiodo. Producer for WETA is Kate Kelly. Production is managed for WETA by Jim Corbley.