Newsletter

Why you need to plan for back up care

Your child care provider has an emergency… the school boiler just burst… your child is mildly ill. Whatever the reason, you have to work and have a need for backup care.

Backup Child Care

Even the best planned child care arrangements can be disrupted from time to time. Without emergency care, more commonly known as backup care, working parents may be forced to stay home or bring their child to work with them. By planning ahead and knowing your options, you can be prepared to meet the unexpected.

Work Considerations

For two parent families, the best place to begin is to talk with your spouse or partner ahead of time about your individual work schedules. Decide who can stay home and when. Be sure you know your time-off options at work so you will be ready when your child is under the weather or an emergency arises.

Your Child Is Ill

Children inevitably get sick and for working parents these illnesses can cause great difficulty. It can be tough to judge if your child is too ill to attend your regular child care program. Ask yourself if your child can participate comfortably and whether his needs will not interfere with the care of the other children. Be familiar with your child care program's policies on illness. Do not pressure your caregivers to take your sick child as it is their responsibility to maintain a healthy environment for all the children enrolled.

The Daily Parent is published 4 times a year. If you would like to order any of the past issues visit Child Care Aware's web site at www.childcareaware.org or call 202-393-5501 ext. 113 for more information.