Answers to the Childcare Scramble

It happens all too often- a new educational theory convinces a school board or superintendent that students are more productive during certain hours of the day. There is a motion to move the school day up or back by a half hour to try to accommodate the latest research and parents everywhere are in a bind. People take jobs sometime based on the fact that the hours will allow them to be home at a bus pickup and drop off point, but the slightest change in a schedule can throw off a lifetime of planning. Where do you find adequate childcare for a mere thirty minutes before or after school?

To begin, call the school district, board, or superintendent with your concerns. You may be surprised to learn that there are programs in place to accommodate these small scheduling conflicts that crop up. A lot of districts offer something similar to an “open door” program, so named for the idea that schools will open their doors a bit earlier to provide a safe and convenient place for children to land for that brief time between parents leaving for work and school starting. The programs are not free, but they often are not as pricey as their daycare business competitors.

If for some reason an open door program is not conducive to your schedule or driving route, check out childcare providers within the boundaries of your school district. If you have never relied on before school care, you may be surprised to learn that daycares, which usually accept school-aged children up through age twelve, will provide safe and timely bus transportation to local schools. Some will even cross district lines if there are several districts within proximity.

Another resort is to converse with neighbors. They are perhaps in a similar situation. For a short time in the morning or afternoon, there may be older neighbor kids who will be willing, for minimal pay, to help your younger kids onto the bus. Parents who are already putting kids on the bus or carpooling to the school campus may not mind an extra rider and may even be willing to watch an extra for a short half hour in the morning and/or the afternoon. This can be an ideal situation if you have a bartering skill. You can repay a neighbor who helps out with your kids on school mornings by reciprocating with offering the couple your sitting service one Saturday a month. Perhaps you can retrieve the kids from school in return for a neighbor who takes the morning shift, or you can even repay the favor by providing the helpful family with a weekly dinner or play date.