Back-to-school season brings new routines and adjustments to the week, especially for parents sending their kids to school for the first time. But, like any transition, this season can also bring a new challenge: managing childcare gaps in your family’s schedule.
Childcare gaps?! But it’s back-to-school season! Shouldn’t those be covered by….school? It’s easy to assume that once the kids begin elementary school, their schedules will line up more closely with your work schedule. (We see you, first-time parents of school-age kids!) In reality, though, there may still be a few hours that need childcare coverage—like wraparound care between school dismissal and the end of your workday. Add in early releases, teacher workdays, and holiday breaks—not to mention sick days and extracurriculars—-and there may be more gaps than even seasoned parents expected.
The good news is you don’t need a single childcare arrangement to solve for every hole in the schedule. Building your back to school childcare schedule starts with identifying two kinds of needs: consistent gaps that call for recurring care and one-off needs that occur every once in a while. Once you know which is which, you can put a plan together.
Start with the school calendar
Step one to building your back-to-school childcare plan? Pull up your school’s calendar alongside your work calendar. Start by marking the days when school is closed or ends early, but you’ll still be working. These might include:
- Early release days and/or half-days
- Teacher planning days
- School holidays
- Fall, winter, and spring break
Then look at a normal school week and the timing of the school day, as well as any after- or before-care options that you might want to take advantage of. Does school end at 2:30pm, but your work day extends to 5:30pm? Do you need help with pickup every Tuesday and Thursday? These are consistent gaps to add to your back to school childcare schedule.
From there, you can mark the dates and specific hours you’ll need childcare. We recommend color-coding these so that, by the end of the exercise, you have two useful lists—one-off and consistent childcare needs. (Side note: while AI can be a helpful planning tool, we’ve found that it can easily mix up dates. So if you use it, just be sure to double check the outputs against your calendar!)
One-off care for early release days and more
With your one-off childcare needs in hand, you can begin posting jobs on SitterTree or your favorite childcare app for the exact dates and hours you need.
One-off care can work for:
- Early release days: You might post for three hours of care on a Thursday afternoon
- Teacher workdays: You might post for a full day of care while school is closed
- Other holidays: You might post a single-day job for a holiday acknowledged by the school district, but not your company
Booking one-off childcare gives you the support you need so that an early dismissal or day off doesn’t throw a wrench in the rest of your week.
Use recurring jobs for consistent gaps
Once you’ve made a plan for the one-off gaps (yay!), it’s time to work something out for those more consistent needs—the ones that happen every week, or even every school day.
For instance, if you need daily drop-off help on Monday mornings to make an early meeting, you can post for a sitter to help get the kids ready for school and drop them off. Or if you only go into the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you might need help with pickup and childcare on those two afternoons. Wraparound care can help the school day and your work schedule come together more seamlessly.
For needs like these, post a recurring job on SitterTree. And don’t forget to consider your family’s personal schedule, too! If your son has soccer practice on Wednesday and your daughter has piano lessons on Thursday, include that in your childcare plan. (Pro tip: including date nights can make them more likely to happen consistently!)
Recurring back-to-school care might look like:
- Every weekday: After-school care from 3–5:30 pm
- A few days a week: Care every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon to assist with extracurricular carpooling
- Once a week: Coverage for half days every Friday (yes, these happen regularly in some districts!)
- Before school: Care between when your workday starts and school begins
- Consistent pickup: School pickup and care until you’re finished with work
A recurring job gives you the opportunity to find a sitter who can become a familiar part of your family’s routine, and sitters love the consistency it creates for their own schedule and income.
When to start planning for back-to-school childcare
When the school calendar hits your inbox (or mailbox), it’s time to start making your childcare plan. With SitterTree, you can post jobs for the whole school year at once—giving you peace of mind as you transition into this new season. Of course, schedules may change throughout the year, so take a look at the next 4-6 weeks at the beginning of each month. A little time with the calendar can help you have support lined up for the school days that don’t quite match your workday.
Remember: back-to-school season can be a busy time for sitters, too. They might be building out their own school schedule, or balancing an internship or other work commitments. Because of this, many sitters book jobs 1-2 weeks in advance, so expect more applications closer to your job date.
Find sitters with experience that fits your needs
Now that you know which dates you’ll need care, it’s time to start booking sitters. Using badges on SitterTree is an easy way to find sitters with the experience you’re looking for. Before you start your search, think about what qualifications are non-negotiable for your family and what would simply be nice to have. For instance, the Disability Care badge may be essential, while a Super Sitter badge—earned by sitters with high star ratings who are frequently added as favorites—might be an added plus.
On SitterTree, you can filter for candidates with these badges and more—like CPR Certification, First Aid, and Child Protection Pledges. From there, review profiles, ratings, and experience to find sitters who are a good fit.
Make the next childcare gap easier to cover
Every job you book can make your back to school childcare schedule a little easier to manage. The sitter who helps out on an early release day might be someone you invite back for the next teacher planning day. Your recurring after-school sitter could become a part of your family’s support system for years to come. And over time, you’ll find you’ve built a list of go-to sitters to call on when schedules change throughout the year.
Ready to get childcare covered?
Browse sitter profiles, review ratings and experience, and use filters to find the right candidates for your family. Post a job or browse sitters on SitterTree to start building your fall childcare plan.