By Laine Thomas Conway, Alight Solutions
Summer is nearly upon us. Before you know it, we’ll be enjoying long, hot sunny days by the pool, taking an invigorating hike or munching on hot dogs at the ballpark. Well…maybe not all of us. Unfortunately, that is far from reality for many employees.
While the arrival of summer signals the start of the season many people enjoy the most, it can also be a time of frustration for working parents tasked with finding activities to keep their kids occupied while they do their job.
During the pandemic lockdowns, many parents found relief that they could be present for their children while working from home. While there are definite advantages to a remote work/parenting situation, there are also drawbacks, such as kids wandering into view during virtual meetings or distracting their parents with requests for snacks. Then there’s the ongoing need to juggle the demands of deadlines with the constant needs of a child.
With a third of workers always on site and an increasing number of companies mandating a return-to-office, most parents are finding themselves in need of a summer plan. Even for those employees still working remotely, it’s often not feasible to have kids at home all day, all summer. So, the frantic search for viable, affordable and available options begins.
Weighing the Options
In many European countries, parents take extended time off during the summer to match their kids’ schedules. While many parents would probably love to take more time off when school’s out, that’s not an option for most American employees, who carry the burden of making arrangements to keep their child(ren) active and healthy for up to 12 weeks.
Some families enjoy the ability to cart the kids off to Grandma’s house for a little summertime fun and bonding (don’t forget the cookies!), but with a growing number of people opting to work into their golden years—or simply living too far away—this isn’t an option for many parents.
Concerned about the dreaded “summer slide”—the loss of academic proficiency in math and reading skills over the summer months—some parents seek out enrichment programs that provide meaningful learning opportunities, rather than focusing solely on having fun. Others opt to help their children cultivate personal interests through art or music camps. Such programs can be hard to find, however, and often require more time, resources or funds than a parent has available.
The obvious solution for many families is to send their kids to summer camp – either a day camp or sleepaway option. Such camps are available through park districts, religious institutions or organizations like the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs. They can be expensive, however. According to a February 2025 NerdWallet survey, one in four parents (25%) who plan to enroll their child(ren) in summer camp this year anticipate spending more than $2,000 per child on registration and fees. Many camps require kids to bring a sack lunch, swimming suit or other supplies, adding to the expenditure. What’s more, most camps charge extra for early drop-off or late pick-up, a necessity for many working parents. In some cases, free or low-cost programs are offered by school districts and non-profits, but they aren’t open to everyone, and spots are limited.
There’s also the fact that not every summer camp is a good fit for every child. While a growing number of camps welcome kids with special needs, disabled or neurodiverse children may find traditional summer camps overwhelming or activities too difficult. They typically fare much better at a specialized camp with low camper-counselor ratios and highly trained staff who understand the kids’ strengths and needs for support. Finding and affording these types of camps is even harder.
Confronting the Conundrum
Making plans for their children to attend summer camp is a time-consuming, stressful undertaking for many parents. A recent survey of the Motherly community found many moms spend 10+ hours searching for camps that fit their kids’ interests, work within the family schedule and aren’t prohibitively expensive. What’s more, registration usually begins months in advance and spots fill up quickly, leaving many parents in a state of panic.
The summer childcare conundrum is a significant distraction for employees, who may end up second-guessing their choices and worrying whether their kids are enjoying themselves or even if they are safe. The cost of childcare also leads to broader financial concerns, with nearly one-third (29%) of parents saying they are unable to save during the summer months and 40% saying they stress the most about their finances during the summer, according to a 2024 Intuit Credit Karma survey.
Clearly, working parents need a hand—and employers are well-positioned to step up and do just that by offering resources to help workers find suitable summer activities for their kids. According to a recent Cariloop study, nearly three-quarters (73%) of requests from working parents are related to finding affordable and quality childcare. What’s more, according to the 2024 Alight International Workforce and Wellbeing Mindset Study, 62% of employees find parental support valuable. Among parents who have used a support program like this, 78% found it valuable.
Mindset data also shows that children rank in the top three sources of stress for parents (along with finances and their work). Access to parental support and resources can significantly reduce stress and improve family dynamics, enabling parents to stay focused and efficient at work. As they seek to help working parents with their summertime childcare needs, HR leaders should take a proactive approach to ensuring employees are well-informed and can easily access these resources, including:
- Communication: Clearly communicate the availability of summer childcare support through various channels such as emails, newsletters and intranet announcements.
- Accessibility: Make sure the information about childcare resources is easily accessible via dedicated sections on the company’s intranet or mobile app.
- Partnerships: Collaborate with organizations that provide tailored guidance and resources to help working parents identify the best summer childcare solutions for their family.
- Affordability: Promote the use of a dependent care flexible spending account to help save for eligible summer childcare expenses, like day camps.
- Feedback: Regularly gather feedback from employees about their childcare needs and experiences to continually improve the support provided.
Parenting presents challenges any time of year—never more so than in the summer when children are out of school, but moms and dads still have to work. HR clearly has a role to play by ensuring employees have access to personalized guidance and resources that will give them confidence they have lined up the best summer care for their kids.
Originally posted on HR Daily Advisor
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