Friday, January 08, 1999
Backup plan for child care vital in storm
Employers, Ys may offer help
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
While snowstorms left many Tristate parents scrambling for child care this week, Villa Hills father Chris Kerns considered himself lucky.
The communications manager of the Internal Revenue Service's Covington office was able to take off work Thursday to care for his 23-month-old son.
“I'm fortunate because I have a great support network of caregivers,” Mr. Kerns said. “But it helps that I also have an employer, who, on two days' notice, will let you take off for child care purposes.”
For working parents who aren't so lucky, a spokeswoman for the Tristate's largest coordinator of child care services has two words of advice.
Plan ahead.
“Snow day care falls under the general category of backup child care,” said Sandy Haas, manager of corporate services for Comprehensive Communi
ty Child Care (4C). “That covers anything from sick children to in-service days — anything that's an interruption in regular child care.”
While more Tristate employers are letting parents bring their children to work, or are allowing employees to sometimes work from home, those options are not always available, she said.
Ms. Haas, whose agency serves 13 Ohio and Kentucky counties, said that working parents often wait until an emergency occurs before seeking backup child care.
“If snow is predicted, contact neighbors or relatives the night before,” she said. “Other options would be to check with high school kids in your neighborhood who are going to be out of school too, or offer to watch a neighbor's children later, if she'll watch yours on a snow day.”
When those alternatives aren't feasible, Ms. Haas suggested that parents check with their local YMCA branch.
|
FINDING HELP
|
Here are some Tristate agencies that provide sick-child and backup care:
• AM & PM Health Care: Provides full, part-time, occasional and sick-child care. Information: 941-2663.
• American Nursing Care: Provides full, part-time, occasional and sick-child care. Cincinnati: 731-4600. Florence: 283-1500.
• Exceptional Sitters: Provides full, part-time, occasional and special-needs care for children with disabilities or special needs, and their siblings. Information: 931-5488.
• Home Health Care: Provides occasional, special needs and sick-child care. Information: 636-4663.
• Kid Kare, St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas: Nurses provide sick-child care on the hospital's pediatric floor. Information: 572-3610.
Fees vary. Some programs are covered by medical insurance and Medicaid.
|
The YMCA of Greater Cincinnati offers snow day child care at its Richard E. Lindner branch in Norwood, and at the Clippard, Powel Crosley Jr., M.E. Lyons, Y-West, West End YMCA and Melrose YMCAs in Cincinnati.
The snow day program is open to parents who already have their children enrolled in the YMCA's before and after school child care programs, as well as the general public, when space is available.
“These programs were designed to provide seamless service,” said Rita Boatman, director of child care services for YMCA of Greater Cincinnati.
In response to the growing demand for backup child care, this year, 4C began offering Connections to Child Care, its first ever registry of backup child care options for parents at the six Greater Cincinnati companies that provided the program's initial funding, Ms. Haas said. Participating firms are Deloitte and Touche, IBM, GE Capital, Citibank, Cinergy and Time Warner.
Working parents who enroll in the Connections to Care program get a list of 87 backup child care options — everything from in-home care to centers and agencies specializing in emergency child care.
Starting in July, 4C hopes to expand the program to other companies, but is asking firms to call now, if they want to contract for those services.
While some Tristate firms offer on-site child care for children up to age 5, very few offer emergency child care, and it often is limited.
For example, the Internal Revenue Service will provide backup child care to siblings of children already enrolled in its full-time child care program at its Covington site. However, children can be no older than 6, and space must be available.
In a few cases, Greater Cincinnati firms contract with outside agencies to provide emergency child care.
For the past two years, Fidelity Investments has offered backup child care to the 3,500 workers it employs in its Covington, Blue Ash, downtown Cincinnati and Hebron offices.
Through Fidelity's contract with American Nursing Care, caregivers will go to employees' homes on short notice to care for children who are mildly ill, or to fill the child care gap on snow days and school breaks.
As with many such programs, parents must register in advance.
“The key with any emergency child care situation is to plan ahead, and check out backup child care options ahead of time,” Ms. Haas said. “That eliminates the stress for the parent, the child, and the provider.”
Reinstating 911 dispatcher is bad call
More snow, ice pelt region
Surviving the cold
City to double road-plowing force
Backup plan for child care vital in storm
Landlords charged after heat goes off
SNOW NOTEBOOK
Plea in Devin's case decried
Some Dems wary of plan to change city election
City investigating bills from contractor
County seeks way to recover money from PRO Seniors
Elder Cafe called drag on Findlay renewal
Three Sycamore seniors ace college-entrance exams
Affair of two lifetimes soured by estate fight
Center director debuts tonight
Charges pile up against Wal-Mart optometrist
Court won't hear NKU sexual-harassment case
Doctor plans community health fair
Firm to clean Fernald silo containing radioactive waste
Gang signs concern Boone County officials
Inmate gives jailer $200 thank-you
Mason schools seek substitute teachers
Middletown officers object to new shifts
Phone service area may expand
Schools assessment has praise for KERA
Suspect denies rape in Kings Island case
TRISTATE DIGEST
