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Check out the May 2012 issue: raw stories, shocking confessions, candid advice about motherhood—and more!
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Is “Night Care” the New Daycare?
February 17th, 2012
By Caitlin Connelly
Photography by sdminor81 via Flickr (CC)
For parents who work regular daytime hours, having the option of enrolling a child in daycare can be a real comfort. But what about those moms and dads who work irregular shifts and are without a family member, friend or babysitter to watch their kids? Sometimes a traditional daycare centre just doesn’t cut it.
Enter 24-hour childcare services. The Globe and Mail recently reported that due to the number of parents who have jobs in certain fields—retail, food services and healthcare, for example—the demand for 24-hour daycare centres has increased. The rise in single-parent households and jobs that demand longer-than-usual days may also be contributing factors in the push for more flexible childcare options.
Once upon a time evening hours at daycares were unusual. This is changing, but overnight care services are still pretty rare—only a few childcare centres in the United States have jumped on board. However, the trend may soon gain momentum across the border. In fact, Daydreams and Sunbeams Child Care Centre in High River, Alberta, has recently started an “evening program” from 6 p.m. to 11:45 p.m., and some home-based daycares have begun offering early morning, nighttime, and weekend care.
Sure, picking up your two-year-old from daycare (or rather, night care) at four in the morning may not sound ideal to all parents, but for some, it’s exactly what they’re looking for. And besides, who doesn’t love a good sleepover?
Do you think 24-hour daycare will catch on across Canada? Would you consider sending your child to an overnight daycare?
Copyright © 2012 St. Joseph Media. All Rights Reserved.