Parents are having to take unpaid leave from work or use up their holiday entitlement to look after sick or injured children, a poll shows.
The survey from MetLife UK found 41% of parents said they have taken time off work in the past two years to look after children who have been involved in accidents or are ill.
For one in four parents, it has involved at least one overnight stay in hospital.
Around 36% of parents said they have had to take unpaid leave while 44% have taken days off as holiday.
More than one in five (22%) said it has meant increased costs and expenses, rising to 33% among the self-employed.
The survey found 39% of parents are concerned about the financial impact of taking time off to look after injured or ill children and nearly a third (31%) of all working adults are worried about the potential costs of time off work to look after family members.
Nearly two out of three (63%) workers would support changes in the law to ease the pressure on families.
Richard Horner, head of individual protection at MetLife UK, said everyone needs to consider how they would cope if they have to take time off work to look after children or other family members.
“Strengthening your financial safety net in the event of illness or injury enables families and individuals to concentrate on recovery rather than worrying about money,” he added.