With today’s changing workforce, the standard 9-to-5 schedule no longer fits the bill for many American families. The Urban Institute reports that more than 60% of families with young children need non-traditional childcare schedules. As much as this need exists, few childcare centers provide flexible childcare to meet these schedules.
Hitchcock Woods Early Learning Center fills this important void and provides an innovative solution: flexible daycare programs for families with nontraditional work schedules. These programs benefit working parents as well as provide children with ongoing, high-quality, early education.
Realizing the Need for Flexible Childcare
The statistics say it all:
43% of American children live in families where a parent holds nontraditional working hours (Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research).
Just 8% of licensed care providers presently provide care on evenings, weekends, or early mornings.
More than 60% of single-parent households indicate that they require childcare outside the standard business day (Source: Urban.org).
1.2 to 1.5 million American workers, most of whom are mothers, scale back their working hours every month because they have no childcare (Source: Parents.com).
Such a mismatch is problematic and has implications on family income, professional development, and most significantly, child development.
How Hitchcock Woods Accommodates Families through Flexible Programming
Hitchcock Woods Early Learning Center is actually designed to accommodate today’s mixed family needs. Their flexible day care options are:
Expanded drop-off and pick-up hours to suit early or late shifts.
Daytime, afternoon, and part-time schedules for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners.
Enrichment- and thematic-based curriculums, without flexible equating to less education.
Regular teacher assistance, so children still form robust emotional and academic connections even with flexible schedules.
Whether working parents have hospital shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts, or unscheduled freelance work, Hitchcock Woods ensures not a single child misses out on developmentally fulfilling experiences.
Why Consistency Remains Important in a Flexible Environment
Authorities at the Harvard Center on the Developing Child affirm that 90% of a child’s brain develops by age 5. Through this sensitive window, consistent routines, responsive caregivers, and challenging environments have a gigantic impact on emotional and cognitive growth.
Hitchcock Woods gets it just right by having flexible attendance without sacrificing structure. Their program still includes:
Daily routines (circle time, story time, play-based learning)
Outdoor activities (aids sensory development and motor skills)
Foundational language, literacy, and numeracy
Social-emotional support through cooperative communication and play
Conclusion: Meeting Families Where They Are
In an economy where work days are changing, childcare needs to change as well. The evidence unequivocally demonstrates that millions of American families require flexible childcare options, and the ramifications of not having them are immense—ranging from lost earnings to delayed development in children.
Hitchcock Woods Early Learning Center is a great example of how early learning centers can respond to these challenges. By providing top-quality education with flexible schedules, they’re not only taking care of children—they’re empowering families.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are defined as nontraditional childcare hours?
A: Nontraditional hours are any hours outside 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., like early morning, evening, overnight, and weekends.
Q: Are flexible daycare programs as structured as the traditional ones?
A: Yes. Hitchcock Woods has a structured curriculum despite flexible attendance for educational continuity.
Q: Is flexible daycare more costly?
A: Although prices can differ based on schedule, Hitchcock Woods has competitive prices and arrangements for full-time and part-time care.
Q: What age ranges can take advantage of the flexible daycare program?
A: Hitchcock Woods offers care for infants (6 weeks) through Kindergarten-aged children.
Q: How do I enroll my child in a flexible program?
A: Visit the website or speak with the administrative staff to discuss your family’s scheduling needs and enrollment availability.
Sources
Urban Institute – “What Child Care Arrangements Do Parents Want During Nontraditional Hours”
www.urban.org/research/publication/what-child-care-arrangements-do-parents-want-during-nontraditional-hours
Institute for Women’s Policy Research – “Not Just 9 to 5”
www.iwpr.org/not-just-9-to-5-expanding-child-care-options-for-parents-working-nontraditional-hours
Harvard University – Center on the Developing Child
developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/brain-development
Parents.com – “Working Parents Are Cutting Hours Due to Lack of Childcare”
www.parents.com/working-parents-lack-sufficient-childcare-8734518
Time Magazine – “The End of Pandemic Childcare Support”
time.com/6314338/pandemic-era-child-care-funding-end
