Planning for Summer Child Care
05/04/2009
It’s hard to believe, but summer is almost here! I'm sure all of us have special summer memories. Mine include playing endless baseball in the backyard (and constant debates about our very fluid rules), the pool, flashlight tag, and 
staying up late as many nights as possible. These days summer means planning ahead to ensure that my son gets into the camps he wants. I also have to line up childcare to cover the hours between when camp lets out and when I get home.
If you're also a parent that needs to line up summer care the good news is that there are tons of options. Everything from summer camps through hiring a full-time care provider are options available in most areas. I have my son, Ethan, going to the same camp that he's attended over the past three summers. Ethan is 8 this year and I found it interesting that he thought ahead to lobby me for a couple of additional camps. So this year he's also going to a baseball camp for a week and an afternoon golf camp. I also have an afternoon sitter lined up for days when camp gets out before I can get out of the office. (Yes, of course I found my sitter on Sitters.com!)
If you're looking for summer care, it's time to get started. Here are a few things I looked at before signing Ethan up for his camps.
Summer Camps. There are numerous community and private day camps for children that are fun and educational. But high demand means camps fill up fast. Start your search early. I found Ethan's camp just by driving by a local church; they had a huge banner on the side of the road. Another good way to find a good summer camp is to ask other parents and call up their school and ask if they have any suggestions. If you decide to go with a summer camp, make sure you find a camp with activities that your child will enjoy. I have some friends that had to pull their child out of camp because it wasn't a good match. They then had to scrambled to find last minute full-time care. Ethan's camp includes arts and crafts, field trips, swimming, and sports - all the things he loves to do.
Start a Playgroup. Try to organize a few moms in your area to create a playgroup. Each play group sets their own rules but typically the idea is that each mom takes care of the children for one week. So, if the playgroup has four kids, which is a realistic number for most moms, you will give one week of childcare and receive three weeks. This arrangement works well if you trust the other moms and feel comfortable leaving your child with them for six to eight hours each day. Sitters.com also offers a good way to connect with other parents in your area - it's called Care Share. Sitters.com members use Care Share to meet other families in their area and join together to share care providers or exchange care services.
Hire a Teen. High school and college students are also home during the summer and many of them will be happy to earn some extra cash. Most of these students post their availability on Sitters.com. Also, Sitters.com offers access to background checks, references, reviews, and advice - so you will be able to find a qualified care provider that fits your schedule.
Please feel free to post your comments below and share your thoughts on finding summer care!
If you're also a parent that needs to line up summer care the good news is that there are tons of options. Everything from summer camps through hiring a full-time care provider are options available in most areas. I have my son, Ethan, going to the same camp that he's attended over the past three summers. Ethan is 8 this year and I found it interesting that he thought ahead to lobby me for a couple of additional camps. So this year he's also going to a baseball camp for a week and an afternoon golf camp. I also have an afternoon sitter lined up for days when camp gets out before I can get out of the office. (Yes, of course I found my sitter on Sitters.com!)
If you're looking for summer care, it's time to get started. Here are a few things I looked at before signing Ethan up for his camps.
Summer Camps. There are numerous community and private day camps for children that are fun and educational. But high demand means camps fill up fast. Start your search early. I found Ethan's camp just by driving by a local church; they had a huge banner on the side of the road. Another good way to find a good summer camp is to ask other parents and call up their school and ask if they have any suggestions. If you decide to go with a summer camp, make sure you find a camp with activities that your child will enjoy. I have some friends that had to pull their child out of camp because it wasn't a good match. They then had to scrambled to find last minute full-time care. Ethan's camp includes arts and crafts, field trips, swimming, and sports - all the things he loves to do.
Start a Playgroup. Try to organize a few moms in your area to create a playgroup. Each play group sets their own rules but typically the idea is that each mom takes care of the children for one week. So, if the playgroup has four kids, which is a realistic number for most moms, you will give one week of childcare and receive three weeks. This arrangement works well if you trust the other moms and feel comfortable leaving your child with them for six to eight hours each day. Sitters.com also offers a good way to connect with other parents in your area - it's called Care Share. Sitters.com members use Care Share to meet other families in their area and join together to share care providers or exchange care services.
Hire a Teen. High school and college students are also home during the summer and many of them will be happy to earn some extra cash. Most of these students post their availability on Sitters.com. Also, Sitters.com offers access to background checks, references, reviews, and advice - so you will be able to find a qualified care provider that fits your schedule.
Please feel free to post your comments below and share your thoughts on finding summer care!
