FAMILY “RAISING PHASE” Childcare Chapter: COVERAGE
Even with a full-time childcare arrangement in place, working parents can still have their worlds turned upside down by a gap in childcare coverage. These gaps span across two categories – known gaps in coverage (including extra holidays that employers don’t recognize, teacher staff days, summer breaks, and other scheduled school breaks throughout the year), and unplanned gaps in coverage (including a sick child, a sick childcare provider, or a contagious outbreak within a childcare environment) – all of which make it very difficult to work. • COVID-19 forced more than 2.3 million women out of the workforce, demonstrating how critical childcare is to the national economy (per 2021 National Women’s Law Center report, “ A Year of Strength & Loss ”). • “Access to childcare benefits enables parents not to miss work…[and] reduces instances of late arrivals, early departures, di stractions, schedule changes, and diminished capacity” (per BCG Study, March 2024).
Challenge
Importance
GOOD
BETTER
BEST
Allow (and encourage) flexibility to work from home when child is sick Research local childcare options and provide directory for all office locations Provide Employee Assistance Program that can aid in childcare research ‘Summer hours’ for when school is out
Provide subsidized back-up care program Provide membership to caregiving search service Provide ‘free holidays’ for employees to use at their discretion to cover additional childcare gap days
Provide free back-up care program Provide on- site childcare for employees’ children Negotiate availability for employees’ kids at local childcare center(s)
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Antidotes
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Unlimited PTO policy for employees
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Leading Firms
Offers 3 free holidays per year, which can be used for school closures.
Family-friendly culture allows employees to bring kids to the office with them when needed.
Unlimited “self - managed PTO” policy with minimum of 2 weeks off per year.
• Outsource options: Consider providing a Care.com membership to employees to find recurring or backup care, partnering with a national childcare center like Bright Horizons for a range of employee childcare benefits, or providing a Wellthy membership for caregiving advocacy and support • Read more: Moms First playbook on “ Making Workplaces Work for Moms ” dated July 2021; BCG article on how “ Childcare Benefits More Than Pay for Themselves at US Companies ” dated 3/26/2024; Care.com “ The Future of Benefits ” dated 2022; US Chamber of Commerce’s “ Employer Guide to Childcare Assistance and Tax Credits ”; WorkPlace Insight article on “ Half of Working Parents are Using Annual Leave to Cover Summer Childcare Commitments ”
Additional Resources
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