Finding After-School Child Care
Posted on: 21 August 2017
When your child's kindergarten session ends before your working day does, you'll find yourself wondering how you're going to juggle your work and home life. Finding after-school child care may seem like a logistical headache, but it only takes a little forward planning to find a solution that suits your family's needs.
Adjusting your working hours
Initially, you may want to consider adjusting your working hours, if it's possible to do so. Starting work earlier or rearranging your shifts so you can share child care responsibilities with your partner, a relative, or a friend may help you avoid the need to pay for a babysitter or care provider.
Arrange a care roster with your friends
If you're working on a part-time basis and have friends who are doing the same, you could negotiate a care roster with them so you share the burden of child care. While this is a cost-effective means of finding after-school care, you should remain mindful of the fact that illness, special occasions, and holidays can cause disruption to your arrangments. As such, having a babysitter on hand for last-minute emergencies is advisable.
Find a student
Students are often in need of extra cash, so you may want to find one through friends, a high school, or a local university. For peace of mind, consider finding someone who comes with recommendations or whose course requires a background check. Try to find a student who has their own transport or one who is within walking distance of your child's school and home.
Start liaising with your child's school
Some kindergartens offer their own after-school care programs or have associations with bodies that do. Such programs have a lot of input from qualified educators, which means your child will benefit from structured activities that enhance their education and provide them with a sense of well-being. One key benefit of an on-site program is that you don't have to worry about your child moving from place to place once the school day finishes.
In addition to considering your after-school options, you may want to look at holiday times. Once your children are older, they can benefit from residential holiday camps, but while they're younger, you may want to reach out to schools, museums, churches, and other local organisations that offer daytime summer camps. Remember, the best places often fill up early, which means you should make both your after-school and holiday care plans promptly to avoid disappointment and last-minute stresses.
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