24-hour childcare spreading
By Christine L. Romero
Arizona Republic
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Working nights, Ali Cherry was wracked with guilt and forced to juggle her job and the needs of her three young children.
Gannett News Service
"Not everybody works 9 to 5," said Cherry, who lives in Scottsdale. "I work at a hospital. I was having to miss work because I couldn't find anybody who would watch the kids."
Children play at the Arizona Early Learning Center, a 24-hour childcare center in Scottsdale, Ariz. Places such as the Arizona Early Learning Center are becoming increasingly popular with parents who work nontraditional hours.
So after repeated requests by night-owl parents like Cherry, Ann Chadwick of Scottsdale Early Learning Center decided to keep her two childcare centers open 24 hours. She saw the need among parents who work all hours, including police officers.
"There's so much demand for it with single parents and second jobs," Chadwick said.
The idea of 24-hour childcare is a small but growing niche in the overall $40 billion market. An estimated two-thirds of American children receive some kind of care from somebody besides their parents, according to a study by the National Child Care Association.
In other areas, including Dallas; Orlando, Fla.; Las Vegas; and parts of Alaska, 24-hour centers are more common. A February study by the YMCA of the USA suggests the need for 24-hour care has increased as more people work multiple jobs on nontraditional schedules. Many parents surveyed said they were interested in all-hours childcare but didn't have such centers nearby.
The idea of 24-hour care may be catching on among some, but its prevalence remains a small fraction of the market.
"It's been on the plate for a few years now," said Susan Perry-Manning of the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Child Care Aware.
There are increased rules for 24-hour centers, including the need for sleeping space and meals.
The late hours mean childcare centers can charge extra. Chadwick expects this to be a good business move because she already has many interested parents. Scottsdale Early Learning Center also offers drop-in night care for $40 for five hours.
"We are trying to tailor it to people's needs," she said. "They need to keep their jobs. They need some kind of support."
Many parents turn to extended families or trusted friends to watch their kids. Some use nannies, but many say that can be too expensive. Cherry once had a nanny come to her home.
"You are talking a lot of money," she said. A few years ago, it cost her about $1,800 a month for an in-home nanny.
Yet the late-night shifts at care centers can be difficult to fill when childcare workers are often paid poorly. That can mean hefty turnover — 30 percent to 40 percent — in a place where parents are sending their children for stability.
Most families demanding 24-hour care look to family settings, Perry-Manning said.
"Anecdotally, people say they could use it and want (24-hour care)," she said. "But when it comes down to it they may be less inclined."
But Cherry thinks it's bound to rise in popularity. "It's very needed," she said. "It provides a safe place for kids with moms who work nights."
