Shift Work Means: SHIFTing Gears

By Deborah Clark

The phenomenon is growing. More parents are working. And more working parents are doing jobs where the hours are not just 9-5 each weekday. Where does that leave the children? Where does that leave the parents?

Usually it leaves them in a bind. Many parents work opposite shifts. Some use teenaged babysitters and family or friends. A few have licensed care. More often than not, the arrangements begin as a temporary measure. The parents will work off-hour shifts, just until a day job comes along. The long term plan is vague. But a few months turn into a few years and the situation hasn't changed. Or, maybe it is the family situation that has changed. The parent finds her or himself the head of a single parent family. Perhaps it is a downturn in the economy that makes any job an acceptable one.

There are choices and options available to shift working parents. Programs throughout Canada have been launched to help parents who work off-hour jobs to access quality, licensed child care. Unfortunately, traditional attitudes regarding off-site child care, especially overnight care, often results in the extended family and the community putting pressure on off-hours parents to remain outside such programs. Rural areas, suburban neighbourhoods and even inner city core areas hold opinions as to why children should sleep at home.

Word of mouth can scrap or save an off-hours program. All the advertising in the world will not get children who need care into a quality, licensed program if the community or family vetoes the idea. Parents working off-hours need to believe that a program that meets their needs, meets their children's needs and keeps them safe is a good and beneficial project.

Occasionally companies, especially those with a large shift working force will attempt to create a child care centre or referral service. Too often, because of inadequate parental/worker input these programs fail. Why? Mostly, it is a case of too little accessibility and too rigid thinking. Companies too often concentrate on a narrow slice, perhaps just extending the hours of available child care by less than a shift. They erroneously believe their workers don't really need the off-hours care, that they have spouses or families that should be doing it.

Government programs are stretching their available funding. Additional child care subsidy dollars are usually far down on their lists of priorities. More parents are having to work hours beyond the traditional Monday to Friday 9-5. Their children should be able to enjoy the stimulating, creative quality programs that meet their needs, just like their daytime day care attending friends.

Parents and communities need to insist that their children have access to quality child care programs regardless of the hours the parents have to work. Parents, communities and governments have to realize that for every dollar spent on quality child care, care that is creative and stimulating, the savings will be multiplied down the road.

Spending money and providing support now can result in savings and benefits to a system that is already near its breaking point. We owe it to our kids to give them the best possible care. So we, as parents, must realize that there are fewer traditional 9-5 fulltime permanent jobs and more off-hours jobs being worked.

It is time we step away from our traditional thinking about child care options. It is time to start thinking about what is best for our children. It is time to start demanding to have the best for our children. Piece mealing care together is not a good solution. We need, and deserve something better.

Deborah Clark.