If you are a working parent, chances are you have found yourself scrambling to find appropriate child care for your children when school is in session. If it’s not available in your neighborhood, the quality of both the care and the service may be questionable. However, this needn’t be your fate! Read on for six practical solutions that will help ease your child-care woes.

6 Practical Solutions for before and after school child care

1. Explore your community resources

If you live in a suburban neighborhood, the availability of before and after school child care depends largely on the popularity of the public schools in your area. If you are near a school with a large enrollment, you may be able to find someone who is willing to take care of your children before and/or after school (and probably eat dinner with them too). This person could be a family member or even a paid sitter or nanny.

2. Support local providers

If your school district lacks options for child care, contact the closest preschool program or daycare center in your neighborhood. Ask if they offer before and after school care and what the income requirements are. If they require a certain rate to be hired, ask if they would consider lower-income families who could provide a service in lieu of payment. You may also want to call their administrator at home to find out how many employees are employed by the daycare center or preschool program. If you discover that there is a large number of employees, you will probably find that there is not enough work for all of them, allowing for lower-income families to find employment in the child care industry.

3. Think big

If you have no luck in your neighborhood, think big! It may be time to look at the school districts that border your neighborhood. If you find a school district that is closer to your house, inquire about employment opportunities with their daycare center. Check with local universities and colleges as well. Many schools offer daycare before and after classes as well as summer care for working parents.

4. Find a home-tutor

If you live in an urban neighborhood, you will probably discover that there are a number of home-tutoring programs or “co-op” type after school care programs. Many of these are run by parent teachers associations and are free for students. You may be able to use one of these resources, or find a parent who is willing to tutor a few students for free at their house.

Let’s be real, kids have A LOT of homework these days and sometimes our kids need a little extra help. Find and book a sitter who’s ready to hit the books after school.

Some parents find it more convenient to have one or two children cared for part-time as opposed to full-time. If you’re on a budget or looking for a way to cut costs, hiring a part time sitter may be a good solution for your child care needs. Find out what the expected hours are and how much you’d need to pay them in addition to the nominal fee per session/week.

A key problem with small daycare centers is that they usually require full-time attendance on a daily basis.

5. The last-minute sitter

When the kids have an unexpected day off from school or your usual nanny calls in sick, you’ll need access to a last-minute sitter for backup child care. Make a list of friends and neighbors who could step in in an emergency. As part of the deal, ask them to let you know when they have free time so you can hire them as a regular sitter.

Don’t get stuck running around trying to find child care last minute—find someone who has availability when your kids need it!

A last minute sitter can help you with more than just last-minute child care. If you have a teenager who is in need of an after school job, consider hiring them to watch your kids. They will learn valuable life and social skills, as well as earn money for college or upcoming expenses.

Students are usually very aware of how to manage their time wisely and often make good decisions when it comes to studying and completing homework.

Hiring a student will also give you the opportunity to connect with other parents who may be interested in arranging cross-sitting sessions for their children.

6. After School Programs

After-school programs are fantastic ways for children to participate in extracurricular activities. These programs also provide an opportunity for youth workers, youth group volunteers, and parents to come together with a common goal in mind. These programs provide opportunities for children to develop their social skills, teamwork skills, and self-esteem.

The main purpose of an after-school program is to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble.

Conclusion-

After school programs can provide many opportunities to develop life skills, social skills and increase self-esteem. After school programs provide quality child care services that include before and after school care, extracurricular activities (especially through sports), homework help, tutoring, field trips, and friends. The purpose of an after school program is to help kids stay off the streets and away from trouble by providing them with quality child care services. This helps in creating positive life choices for youth.

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