Working parents need an emergency childcare plan to deal with unforeseen occurrences and avoid stressful situations. Focusing at work can be hard when dealing with an emergency, negatively affecting productivity. While emergencies are unpredictable, you can manage them with a good plan. What is emergency childcare, and why is it important?
What is Emergency Child Care?
Emergency childcare is a service that enables working parents or guardians to arrange care for their children in case their regular care routine is disrupted. This service comes in handy to relieve stress while minimizing interference to the working schedule. Emergency childcare allows working parents to find a backup solution quickly, whether the school is cancelled unexpectedly, children get sick, or the nanny doesn’t report to work.
What are the Business Benefits of Emergency Child Care?
Some companies offer emergency childcare for their employees. Doing so helps workers manage childcare challenges without being absent, maximizing their productivity. Further, providing emergency childcare perks helps develop an employer’s reputation as a family-friendly brand.
Explain the Importance of Emergency Childcare
The benefits of emergency childcare services for employers and employees include:
· Increased Productivity
Emergency childcare is critical in reducing workplace disruptions due to unforeseen occurrences at home or school.
· Better Recruitment
Employees value childcare, meaning they will be attracted to employers who offer emergency childcare services, especially if they want to start a family or are young parents.
· Enhanced Retention
Working parents with an emergency childcare plan, especially from their employers, are highly likely to work with the company longer. They don’t have to leave the company for a more considerate and family-oriented employer or to care for their children. Retaining employers save businesses from spending colossal amounts of money training new employees.
· Enhanced Performance
Having guaranteed emergency childcare services allows working parents to be more productive at their workplaces.
· Reduced Stress
Being assured of emergency childcare gives working parents peace of mind, allowing them to focus on their work and get the desired results.
Highlight the Challenges Parents Face when Unexpected Situations Arise
Working parents understand that managing parenting and their professional responsibilities can be challenging. Emergencies can worsen the situation further. Here are some of the challenges parents deal with.
· Being Out of the Office when Children Get Sick
Parents with young children know how unpredictable they can be. Whether your child wakes up with a fever or gets sick while in school, you may need to remain at home or leave your workplace to attend to the child. When emergencies occur, they disrupt a working parent’s schedule and can negatively affect their performance at work.
· Having an Emergency Before a Presentation
Sometimes emergencies occur at the most crucial times. For example, a parent is about to enter a room for a critical presentation. Suddenly they receive a call from the school nurse. Such disruptions can affect the parent’s performance in the presentation. They might either become anxious or even forget what they had to say.
· Missing out on Children’s Crucial Events
Every parent wants to be present to celebrate their children when they attain certain milestones. Whether it’s their birthday, first concert at school, or graduation, missing your child’s important events can make you guilty.
As much as you can’t avoid the guilty feeling, experts encourage parents to focus on empowering thoughts unsteady of feeling guilty. For example, consider how much of a role model you are to your child. Read about the importance of having working parents for children and find a way to participate even in absentia.
· When Children are Restless, Forcing Parents to Stay Home
Children, especially young babies, can often be overly restless, forcing parents to stay home and watch over them. Whether the cause of restlessness is sickness or discomfort, the parent may need to visit the doctor to be sure the child is okay. When this happens, parents with no emergency childcare plan must miss or get late for work, affecting their productivity.
Identifying Your Needs
Parents trust childcare providers to care for their kids and keep them safe during emergencies. Here are various things to consider when choosing an emergency childcare provider.
· What Kind of Emergency are you Facing?
Common childhood emergencies that parents should be wary of when choosing an emergency childhood provider include:
- Burns
- Scratches or cuts
- Broken bones, fractures, or sprains
- Poisoning
- Choking
- Objects stuck in the ears or nose
The emergency childcare provider you choose must be conversant with these emergencies and understand how to manage them.
· What Kind of Childcare do you Need?
Childcare services can either be full-time or part-time. These include:
- Daycare
- Childminders
- Preschool care
- Afterschool care
- Au pairs and nannies
- Babysitters
- Playgroup
What are Your Expectations for a Caregiver?
Some of the reasonable expectations you can have for your caregiver include the following:
- Being actively engaged and attentive. Let them understand the importance of disconnecting from the outside world while caring for your child. Thoroughly focusing on your child guarantees their safety while enabling them to make informed decisions in the case of an emergency
- Be reliable and professional, and maintain cleanliness. The childcare provider should keep time, be neatly dressed, and be prepared to adhere to the stipulated schedule.
- Be comfortable assisting with personal needs and hygiene. Young children need assistance with personal care. Your caregiver should be comfortable bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming, and caring for their overall personal hygiene.
- The ideal caregiver must possess excellent communication skills.
Finding Help
Parents looking for emergency childcare options can use various strategies to do so like:
· Ask Friends and Family for Recommendations
Your loved ones are best placed to recommend service providers they’ve worked with before.
· Use Online Resources to Find Reputable Childcare Providers
There are numerous childcare service providers online. However, you must do your due diligence to ensure your chosen provider is reputable.
· Check with Your Employer or Community Organizations for Emergency Childcare Services
Some employers offer emergency childcare services to give employees peace of mind while boosting productivity. Community organizations near you can also be of help.
Evaluating Your Options
Once you have narrowed down your options, you must analyze them before choosing your most preferred one. You can do so by:
Conduct a phone or in-person interview with potential caregivers: Always interview potential caregivers before hiring them. Doing so helps you determine their ability to meet your needs.
Ask for references and check them: Ask potential emergency childcare providers for references and call them to determine what to expect before hiring.
Consider the caregiver’s experience, qualifications, and personality: These characteristics are critical in ensuring your caregiver provides the best services based on your needs.
Preparing for Emergencies
Being prepared for an emergency reduces anxiety and fear while helping you know how to manage the situation fast. Everybody should know what to do in an emergency to increase their chances of safety. Here are some emergency preparedness tips.
Create an emergency plan and share it with your caregiver: A simple plan should include phone numbers and people to call in an emergency. Ensure they have access to medical cards for all your children and an authorization letter to seek medical care for your child in an emergency. Write the direction and address to the local hospital and ensure the emergency childcare provider is conversant with the area.
Provide crucial information about your child’s medical history and routine: Create a list of medications your child may be on and their dosages and ensure your carer can easily access them.
Make sure you have the necessary supplies and equipment on hand: Have a first aid kit within easy reach.
Conclusion
Managing family emergencies as a working parent can be challenging. However, having the right emergency preparedness plan can go a long way in guaranteeing the safety of your children. Preparing for an emergency gives you peace of mind to continue working while your caregiver manages the situation. What emergencies have you experienced before? What lessons did you learn from them? We would appreciate a few tips from you. Kindly share them with us and add on to our list.
