Growing a kids & family brand
The US had 72.0 million children in 2025, and 3.61 million babies were born. Reach parents on YouTube and Instagram, and follow each platform's rules for kids.
How big is the kids & family industry?
The US had 72.0 million children under 18 in 2025, 2.4% fewer than in 2020, and 3.61 million babies were born that year.
| Measure | Figure | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Children under 18 | 72.0 million | 2025 |
| Births | 3.61 million | 2025 |
| Families with their own children under 18 | 39% of families | 2025 |
| US toy industry sales | About $45.6 billion | 2025 |
| Growth in retail toy sales | 6% | 2024 to 2025 |
The toy figures are Circana's, published by The Toy Association. Families with children have fallen from 54% of all families in 1975.[1, 2, 3, 4, secondary]
Who are kids & family customers?
Most parents work: at least one parent had a job in 91.6% of US families with children in 2025.
| Group | What the figures show |
|---|---|
| Mothers of children under 18 | 73.9% are in the labor force |
| Mothers of children under 6 | 68.0% are in the labor force |
| Women ages 30 to 34 | The highest birth rate in 2025, 96.3 per 1,000 |
| Households headed by 25-to-34-year-olds | $207 on clothes for children under 2 in 2024, the most of any age group |
Which platforms should a kids & family brand grow on?
YouTube reaches 91% of US adults ages 30 to 49, and Instagram reaches 64%.
On YouTube, every creator must say whether a video is made for kids, and those videos lose comments and personalized ads. The App Store's Kids Category bars most third-party ads and analytics, and Google Play allows ads to children only through Families self-certified SDKs. Point parents to your .com, and read Protecting your trademark once your name is filed. For COPPA, domain endings and trademark classes, see naming a kids brand.[6, 7, 8, 9, secondary]
Checks the .com, YouTube, Instagram, App Store, Google Play and trademarks in one search.
Who are the top kids & family creators?
Ms. Rachel and Rebecca Zamolo are on Forbes' 2026 list of top creators. Becky Kennedy and Sarah Adams are on TIME's 2025 list of the 100 most influential creators.
| Creator | Known for | Named by |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. Rachel | Teaching toddlers on YouTube since 2019; her shows are licensed to Netflix | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #24 |
| Rebecca Zamolo | Family-friendly stunts and superhero spoofs; 22 million YouTube subscribers in 2026 | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #20 |
| Becky Kennedy | A clinical psychologist behind the Good Inside parenting podcast, book and platform | TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
| Sarah Adams | Videos on the risks of "sharenting," under the line "Kids are not content" | TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
Which sites are the authorities on kids & family?
The FTC, the CPSC, The Toy Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics are the main authorities on kids' privacy, toy safety and health.
| Site | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| FTC: Children's privacy (opens in a new tab) | FTC guidance on COPPA, which gives parents control over data collected from kids | Rules for apps and sites aimed at children |
| CPSC: Toy safety (opens in a new tab) | The US safety regulator's guide for toy makers | Testing and certificates for toys for ages 12 and under |
| The Toy Association (opens in a new tab) | "The unifying force for the toy community," with 900+ member companies | Toy sales data and industry news |
| American Academy of Pediatrics (opens in a new tab) | 67,000 pediatricians committed to children's health and well-being | Child health guidance |
Sources (16)
- PrimaryUS Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 population estimates (opens in a new tab), Table 1
- PrimaryCDC National Center for Health Statistics: Births in the United States, 2025 (opens in a new tab), Data Brief No. 571, October 2026
- PrimaryUS Census Bureau: New Estimates on America's Families and Living Arrangements (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryThe Toy Association: U.S. Sales Data (opens in a new tab), Circana figures for 2025; and U.S. Toy Industry Returns to Growth in 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Characteristics of Families, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab), survey of US adults
- PrimaryYouTube Help: Determining if your content is made for kids (opens in a new tab); and Set your channel or video's audience (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryApple: App Store Review Guidelines (opens in a new tab), 1.3 Kids Category and 5.1.4 Kids
- PrimaryGoogle Play Console Help: Families policies (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryForbes: Top Creators 2026 (archived copy) (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryTIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryFTC: Children's Privacy (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryCPSC: Toy Safety business guidance (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryThe Toy Association: About Us (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryAmerican Academy of Pediatrics: About the AAP (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 2024 tables (opens in a new tab), Table 1300 (age)