In today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing labor force, old-fashioned childcare models no longer fit the reality of many American families. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that 43% of children under age 18 reside in households where one or both parents hold nonstandard-hour jobs, such as nights, weekends, early mornings, or rotating shifts. These shifts are typical for essential workers—nurses, emergency responders, warehouse workers, retail staff—yet compatible childcare availability is alarmingly scarce.
Hitchcock Woods Early Learning Center in Charleston, South Carolina, has risen to this challenge. Founded in 1983 and having provided care for over 1,250 children, the center provides flexible and affordable child care that accommodates the contemporary family’s scheduling needs—an approach increasingly seen as essential to educational opportunity, economic advancement, and child well-being.
Why Nontraditional Work Schedules Are the New Normal
The American workforce has taken a seismic realignment:
- 16% of workers in the U.S. work non-day shifts (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022).
- For low-income families, more than 60% of children live with at least one parent who works evenings, nights, or weekends (Urban Institute).
- Black and Hispanic mothers are 30–40% more likely to work nonstandard shifts than White mothers, and these differences lead to differences in access to appropriate childcare (National Women’s Law Center, 2020).
Despite this, the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) discovered that a mere 8% of center-based childcare workers provide care evenings or weekends, creating a shortfall of need and availability.
How Hitchcock Woods Compensates with Flexibility
Extended Hours That Mirror Real-World Schedules
Unlike most childcare facilities that are closed by 5 or 6 p.m., Hitchcock Woods offers personalized scheduling consisting of part-time, full-time, and extended-hour childcare. This guarantees children of parents who have second shifts or rotating schedules consistent, high-quality care in a structured setting.
- Whole Child Care from Infancy to Preteens
The center caters to children aged 6 weeks to 12 years, with continuity and stability in formative development stages. This is important because research conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) indicates that stable, long-term care results in improved emotional regulation, cognitive development, and readiness for school.
- Inexpensive Choices for Working Families
In South Carolina, the average cost of full-time childcare is $6,000–$9,000 a year, says Child Care Aware of America. Hitchcock Woods provides affordable, flexible plans so families can pay just for the time required—hours or whole days—lessening financial burden, particularly on single-parent and hourly-income families.
The Broader Benefits of Flexible Childcare
- Increased Workforce Participation for Parents
A 2023 Economic Policy Institute report discovered that lack of flexible child care causes 24% of parents, mostly mothers, to exit the labor force or cut back on working hours. With flexible child care, those parents are 42% more likely to have consistent employment (Urban Institute).
- Better Child Outcomes
The American Academy of Pediatrics highlights that children in stable, supportive childcare settings have 23% greater levels of language and social-emotional development at age five. Flexible care models, such as those at Hitchcock Woods, preserve developmental continuity irrespective of when parents work.
- Community-Level Economic Benefits
When parents are able to work with consistency, regional economies gain. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation estimates that U.S. businesses lose $57 billion a year in employee absenteeism and turnover caused by childcare. High-quality, flexible childcare minimizes these interruptions.
Conclusion
Childcare’s future will need to accommodate the future of work. When 43% of children in this country have parents working nonstandard hours, the traditional 9-to-5 model cuts off millions of families from having access to care. Hitchcock Woods Early Learning Center closes the gap by focusing on its future-forward, family-centric early learning philosophy.
Through flexible hours, customized care, and affordability, Hitchcock Woods gives parents the power to excel in the workforce while providing children with safe, healthy, and developmentally rich environments in which to grow. It’s not daycare—it’s the foundation upon which stronger families and communities are built.
FAQ
Q1: What constitutes a nontraditional work schedule?
A: Nonstandard work hours are early mornings (prior to 8 a.m.), late evenings (after 6 p.m.), night shifts, weekends, and rotating shifts.
Q2: How many child care centers have these schedules?
A: Less than 1 in 10 (8%) of center-based programs in the United States provide care during nonstandard hours (NSECE, 2019).
Q3: How does flexible care help children in the long term?
A: It provides consistent, developmentally based learning and emotional support to children, even when the work schedules of parents are not consistent—a huge determinant of academic achievement and emotional health.
Q4: Is flexible daycare more costly?
A: No. Hitchcock Woods enables parents to create their own schedules and pay only for the hours utilized, potentially reducing overall cost compared to full-time rates.
Q5: Does flexible daycare adhere to the same standards of safety and education?
ANSWER: Yes
A: Yes. Hitchcock Woods and other licensed flexible providers adhere to or exceed state and national requirements for safety, curriculum, staff training, and child development standards.
Resources
- www.bls.gov – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- www.childcareaware.org – Child Care Aware of America
- www.urban.org – Urban Institute
- www.nichd.nih.gov – National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- www.epi.org – Economic Policy Institute
- www.uschamberfoundation.org – U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- www.nwlc.org – National Women’s Law Center
- www.acf.hhs.gov – Administration for Children and Families
- www.aap.org – American Academy of Pediatrics
