Finding the right childcare can be stressful for any family, but it can feel impossible for families with non-traditional working hours. From hospital staff to retail employees to police officers, many parents need overnight care or hours outside of the typical 9-5 workday. Luckily, some daycare providers are stepping up to meet these families' needs by offering 24-hour childcare or overnight care, and we're breaking down all the details for you here.
What exactly is 24-hour daycare?
With more and more parents working outside the
traditional 9-5 workday, the need for 24-hour
or overnight childcare is increasing. Some children may
spend the night at daycare or get picked up very late
and spend the second half of the night at home.
A 24-hour daycare provider is generally open on weekends
and offers around-the-clock care for families who need it.
How do 24-hour daycare work?
24-hour daycare centers work the same way traditional daycare centers do; they're just open for more hours. During the day, they operate the way any daycare center would, caring for children whose parents are off at work or school. However, instead of closing at 6:00 pm like many daycare providers, a 24-hour daycare would remain open throughout the night to care for children whose parents work outside the traditional 9-5 workday. During the evening and overnight hours, a 24-hour provider provides dinner for children, gets them ready for bed, and puts them to sleep. Some children may spend the first half of the night with the provider, and then their parent picks them up and brings them home to sleep the rest of the night in their bed at home, or they may spend the night at daycare and get picked up in the morning. 24- hour providers need to have more staff since one set of staff members can't care for children for 24 straight hours, so there may be a "day shift" and a "night shift" or three shifts. If you are touring 24-hour childcare programs, you may want to ask how staffing works and how many providers will be there overnight.
Benefits of 24 Hour Daycare
The need for 24-hour childcare continues to grow, but infrastructure is not fully developed to allow providers to meet the demand sustainably. There are many parents who work overnight shifts, have schedules that vary week to week, or work weekends, and often cannot always rely on family and friends. Essential workers like doctors, nurses, police officers, and even truck drivers who have children may need care and 24 hour daycares are able to meet their needs. Good 24 hour daycares provide the same structure as your traditional hour daycares and can help children with homework and provide other activities that promote growth and development in children.
Need for 24 Hour Daycare
Nationally, only 8% of center-based providers offer child care during
non-standard hours, according to a recent report by Child Care Aware of America. When it comes to evening hour
and overnight care, those numbers drop to 2% and 6%, respectively.
Yet, the need is high: About 43% of all children
under 18 in the United States have at least one parent
who works an irregular schedule, translating to
about 31 million children who may need non-standard
care. So if you want to start a daycare , consider
offering 24 hour daycare to help parents who
work non-traditional hours.
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