9:00 am-5:00 pm may be standard work hours for some, but this is not true for all families. Retail, service industry, medical, hospitality, and rescue workers, as well as single parents, often face unique time clocks. These families usually require daycares that fit their hours and needs. In some cases, overnight care is crucial.That is where 24-hour childcare services can make a difference. These services offer care from sunup to sundown, even on the weekends. Whether your child needs to be picked up late or have somewhere safe for overnight care, a 24-hour daycare could be the answer to your prayers. Here are some things to know before enrolling your child in 24-hour child care services.
Do not let the name alarm you! Children of families with odd hours are not spending 24 hours in daycare. They work the same way as traditional centers, but they stay open longer to facilitate evening to overnight stays. Instead of locking up after 6:00 pm, 24-hour daycares stay open for parents working outside the 9-5 block. The pace is different from its daytime pace filled with activities, but the care is still the same.Caregivers provide dinner, ready the children for bed, or put them to sleep if the parent works overnight. This can look like a child spending half the night with the provider before their parents pick them up. Or the child is picked up in the morning as the parent finishes their shift. 24-hour daycares work in multiple shifts to ensure the quality of your child’s care without provider burnout or fatigue.
Start with the facility. The overall look should show parents their children will have a safe and comfortable place to sleep. Follow up with an accreditation checklist. The facility still needs to meet Texas child care licensing standards and requirements to run its overnight services. If your facility is following governing rules, their safety and well-being are legally guaranteed. Ask the provider how many caregivers work each shift in a 24-hour care facility. More caregivers mean more fresh eyes and alerts on sleepy children.Further investigation should yield adequate sleeping amenities, like cribs or beds, instead of napping cots. Linens should be clean, children should receive toiletries, and meals should meet state and nutritional requirements. Children’s sleeping habits, age-appropriate bedtimes and routines, mealtimes, and any disturbances should be accounted for.
More than 48% of families require the services of a 24-hour daycare. Many parents work nontypical hours, and they require a reliable safe haven for their children. Late or overnight in-home care and babysitters sometimes just cannot keep up with children’s development and needs. Bedtime routines and habits are major factors in their development and should be addressed.A 24-hour daycare offers hands-on safety, care, and attention to these important routines. It provides a safe place for children to co-habituate while parents are at work. The need for these facilities has been steadily on the rise, booming back in 2020 through 2021. Child care in Virginia is changing, and no family should be left behind.If you have questions about on-site or in-home child care, Wonderschool is standing by with the answers. Several of our available, searchable programs can fit the needs of typical and nontypical work hours. We connect you with services covering weekly and subsidy payment options to fit your family’s budgetary needs. Let us connect you with a daycare that fits your schedule without disrupting your child’s routine.
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