Overnight childcare, or overnight daycare refers to care that is provided to children by caregivers overnight and outside of traditional childcare hours. With this type of care, parents are able to keep their children under the supervision of a professional during evening hours. Most times, the expectation is to have children sleepover at the site or to be picked up in the wee hours of the morning.

Parents working a job with irregular hours, early morning hours, evening or overnight shifts often seek overnight daycare. Traditional childcare facilities generally offer workday hours that are not always a fit for a family’s needs. Jobs in the healthcare, restaurant, or hotel industries often require employees to work through the night, making it difficult to find care that matches a parent’s schedule. Single parents may feel especially frustrated by the lack of options available to them. But there are ways to make an alternative schedule work by using our services for safe and reliable overnight childcare.

Overnight Childcare Options

.   As more parents seek childcare hours outside the scope of what most centers offer, our night care facilities are responding to the community’s request for overnight scheduling options. This can offer peace of mind to parents who are seeking a reliable provider.

· In-Home Centers: Most overnight daycare care centers will operate out of a caregiver’s home. These providers might specialize only in alternative hours or may hire a helper for the daytime hours while they handle the night time shift. These home-based facilities will advertise this unique feature on a professional website or social media profile, but will also use word-of-mouth to promote this offering.

 

. Sitters or Nannies: If trouble is met trying to find an outside center to provide overnight care, another option may be to employ a nanny or babysitter. These individuals offer care for children and are available to spend the night during a parent’s work hours.

· Establish a Routine: Whether a child will be spending the night at a traditional facility, staying with an in-home provider, or spending time at home with a sitter, it is important to establish a consistent routine. Begin with a steady bedtime routine. This could include brushing teeth, reading bedtime stories, or saying a prayer. If outside the home, pack a comforting snack, fun pajamas, a favorite book, and any special stuffed animal with which the child is used to and comfortable. When a child is surrounded by familiar items and routines, he or she will quickly adjust to their new schedule -- and parents will feel peace of mind while away at work.

 

 

The demand for this type of overnight daycare is increasing as parents continue to experience non-traditional work schedules. Although this type of care can be difficult to find daycares and home-based care providers are recognizing the need for this service and are becoming more creative in finding ways to be flexible.