Top 8 Options for Back-Up Care When Your Child is Sick

Imagine the following scenario, if you will. One hour after you arrive at work, your phone rings. The Caller ID reads, “YOUR CHILD’S DAYCARE/SCHOOL”. You already know what this means…your child has a temperature, is sick, and needs to be picked up ASAP. You have back-to-back meetings and conference calls all afternoon. You try to reach your husband to see if he can pick up your child; however, you just remember that he is tied up in an all-day workshop for work. Alas, you are forced to cancel your work obligations for the third time this month. You feel like your colleagues and supervisor must be questioning your work ethic and your overall commitment and dedication to the job that you really do love! Sound at all familiar?

Though there are no ifs, ands or buts about it…your children WILL get sick. It is inevitable. As a working mom, you end up having to make some tough decisions. Do you go to/stay at work and make other arrangements for your child? Or, do you stay home and care for your sick kid? Though you cannot always plan for when your child falls ill, you CAN be proactive and have a back-up strategy (or two) in place! Following are 8 options from which you can choose when devising a contingency plan that will work for you, your family, and your employer when your child is sick.

1) Save a few personal or sick days (if your employer offers paid time off) to stay home with your child. Make the most out of the day at home to simply care for and comfort your child. Enjoy the break in your routine, the slower pace, and just being together.

2) Share the triage responsibility with your partner. Have a discussion with your spouse regarding your plan for handling sick children. Can you and your hubby split the day, with one of you going to work late and the other coming home early? Can either of you work one day over the weekend in lieu of going into work for the day? Is telecommuting a short term option?

3) Talk to your supervisor in advance about the best way to manage a sick child. Perhaps you can arrange some sort of flexible schedule where you conduct your work responsibilities from your home on days when your child is sick, work an alternative schedule that day, or offer to come in over the weekend.

4) Ensure your home environment is conducive for work. If you've received the okay from your supervisor to work from home when your child gets sick, be prepared. One idea is to create a cozy retreat in the corner of your office. You can either set up an air mattress or bring in lots of pillows and blankets to serve as a resting place. Also, be sure to have lots of books, activities, and possibly even some sort of portable DVD player or iPad. Who doesn’t like curling themselves up in a bunch of blankets and watching a good movie while sick?

5) Create your own village of emergency caregivers among your friends, neighbors and family members. Individuals who work a part-time job or have a flexible schedule may just be willing to work out an arrangement when a backup plan is needed. You will never know unless you ask!

6) In-home backup care. Having backup care in your home can eliminate the need to get the kids out of their jammies and off to a new location when they are sick. You can search for agency’s who provide this service online. There are also online services that you can use to find backup care providers, such as www.sittercity.com or www.care.com. I would recommend that you do a pre-screen of potential sitters and have a meet and greet well in advance of actually needing to use them.

7) Backup Drop-in day care centers. Yes, some cities really do have drop-in day care centers devoted to kids who are sick and they are a great Plan B for many working moms! They are staffed by nurses who dispense medication and regularly call parents with updates. Children are cared for in separate rooms according to illness. Some centers are located in hospitals and medical centers and others are more community based. To find a backup drop-in day care center near you, contact your local or state agency that licenses day-care centers, or call hospitals directly.

8) Have a backup plan for your backup plan. If you only have a list of neighbors that have volunteered to be a part of your back-up plan and they are not available when your child gets sick, you are in the same boat as where you started. The more options you have, the greater your chances of finding backup when it is needed.

BONUS TIP: If you are unable to stay at home with your sick child, don't allow yourself to fall into a guilt trap about having to/wanting to work. On the flip side, if you DO stay home with your sick child, don’t allow yourself to feel for NOT going to work! The last thing you need when you have a demanding job and a sick child is a load of guilt.