Results of the survey:
Hundreds and hundreds of you responded to our poll. We heard from parents in a wide range of situations and circumstances. These included parents whose kids are not yet in school, "stay-at-home parents," parents who homeschool their kids, many parents who have made child-care arrangements that they like, and many who would like to find something better.
How do you handle the after-school hours? Over 33% use some form of group program after school. 17% have kids cared for by a relative. 3% have kids cared for by a sitter. 6% have older kids caring for the younger ones. 4% have kids home alone, with frequent calls to make sure they are okay. Over 30% described other arrangements:
- work from home
- stay-at-home parents
- homeschool
- organize work schedules to pick up kids at school
- have nannies
- child walks to her parent's office
What do you do during school vacations? 24% take time off from work. 23% have relatives who are able to care for the kids. 23% use some type of daycare. 30% described other arrangements:
- as teacher has the same vacation schedule as the kids
- stay-at-home parents who don't need to change schedules
- have a sitter to watch the kids
- bring their kids to work
What do you do when your child is home sick? 58% take time off from work. 6% rely on a neighbor or friend. 36% described other arrangements:
- use the same strategies for coping with vacations
- telecommute from home
- "lean on relatives" (grandparents figure prominently)
- feel grateful that their children don't get sick very often
What you said:
Those who were pleased said:
- Our provider is caring and attentive.
- We have an old-fashioned reverse situation. Dad stays home. It works well in most instances. Sometimes when our child is sick, he only wants Mom. When that is the case, Mom will sometimes take off work.
- I get home before they get off the bus, and our school has a before-school program that is convenient and not very expensive.
- My children are in daycare. If I can't be home with them, it is the best solution.
- I love it!! Going from a full-time job to staying home with my kiddos is the best decision I have ever made!!
- I am grateful that the elementary school offers full-day kindergarten as well as an after-school program and summer program.
- We use the park district and love the program, and, more importantly, so does our son.
- It's hard in this country today with only one income. We can't afford a lot of the things that other families have, but it is important to have your kids with someone you know and trust--and what better person than your wife!
- It's wonderful. I homeschool my three elementary-age children, and the other two are in high school.
- I'm very happy to have my parents available to help when I'm at school, and also I work from home so I can be with my son when the need arises.
- I have an eight-year-old and a three-year-old; both of my children have been in a child-care facility since they were eight weeks old. They both loved their child-care facility.
- We use a national child-care franchise, as it can be depended upon more than an individual in event of provider sickness, vacation, snow days, etc.
- My ten-year-old son goes to the YMCA after-school program, which is great, from 3:15-5 PM, and my three-year-old daughter goes 9 AM-5 PM, two-three days to a private preschool, which she loves and I love.
- I love being a stay-at-home parent and being able to do everything with my children myself.
- Our daycare provider is one of the most terrific women in the world! She runs her daycare like a school, with enrichment activities, arts, crafts, snacks, and play usually centered on the letter of the week or holiday. She has given my children the best start any parent could hope for.
Child-care challenges:
- I live in a small town and there are not adequate organized daycare options available, and the home daycare options that I have found are not suitable. I am in a bind to find decent, dependable, safe, nurturing daycare options for my children who are preschool age.
- Guilty; the neighbor lady is nice enough, but she has no toys and doesn't play with the kids or keep them occupied.
- My husband and I have made the financial sacrifice, which allows me to stay home with the kids.
- My issue is being able to pick up my children from multiple locations and do it without incurring late fees.
- I have lost most of my vacation time caring for the kids when they are out sick.
- I don't like it. Before- and after-school rates are too high, and I'm not fond of having my child be a "latchkey kid."
- It can get expensive and is tough on them to be in school and then in after-school care. It's a really long day for them. (Typically, 7:30 AM-5:30 PM)
- I have no child-care, so I had to cut back hours at work (bring home less money) and possibly have to get another part-time job to keep the home.
- It's very hard to find a baby-sitter. High school and college kids are unable to baby-sit during the day and it seems all have jobs in the evening. Anyone older either works or isn't interested. Daycares don't have drop-ins.
- I would welcome the flexibility of having the after-school care program offer longer hours. Mine currently closes at 5:15. It makes it rough when you get out at 5.
- I don't like it because my in-laws tend to disregard all the rules and guidelines that my husband and I have set.
- The people are wonderful, but it is way too expensive. But what can a single mother do?
- I'm not comfortable with my current arrangement. When school is out for the summer, a twelve-year-old girl will be home alone pretty much of the time. There's not much out there for parents/grandparents of tweenies/teens.
- It is great until vacation time or he is sick. It would be great to have a better support system of family and friends. But as we live far away, we don't have the option of family help, and most of our friends are working.
Here are some responses to the question “If you had a magic wand and could improve your child-care situation, what would you change?"
- I would build a state-of-the-art child-care center in my town and hire top-rated personnel to take care of the children so that all children in my town would have a safe place to be nurtured and learn while their parents were at work each day!
- Half-day kindergarten to last until 1!!
- I would never have to find emergency help.
- Nothing. I enjoy staying home with my children
- I would require child-care centers to take children with disabilities. The only reason we have a sitter and not a daycare/after-school program is because our child is profoundly disabled, and none of the 30+ centers that I contacted through my employer's referral system would take him.
- Need it to start earlier to cover my commute time better. Need better options for when I work late. Need something to help on sick days and those surprise school holidays that they never mentioned on the plan-ahead calendar.
- More safe recreational/educational summer programs that don't cost an arm and a leg (for pre-teens and teens).
- Take my wand and make my mom 25 again! (As one of you noted, we did say "magic wand"!)