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Child Care During Nontraditional Hours
Many families need child care during nontraditional hours due to their work schedules, yet little is known about the providers who offer this type of care. Our report series summarizes learnings from our Spring 2024 survey of child care providers who do and do not offer this care in Illinois. Our three-report series highlight the unique experiences, practices, and characteristics of providers who offer this care, and ways programs and policies can better support providers to increase the supply of this care.
This research was conducted as part of the Illinois Nontraditional Hour Child Care Study (INCCS), a Research-Policy Partnership. INCCS is a collaboration among research partners Erikson Institute’s Home-Based Child Care Research Initiative, the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice, and Illinois Action for Children in consultation with policy partner, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). This project is supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with grant #: 90YE0285. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, or an endorsement by, ACF, HHS, the U.S. Government, or IDHS.
Who Offers Nontraditional-Hour Child Care in Illinois?
View the unique characteristics of providers who offer nontraditional-hour child care and how they compare to providers who offer only standard-hour care. The report discusses providers’ schedules of care, demographics, staffing, and number of children they serve.
Practices of Child Care Providers During Nontraditional Hours
Providers report the unique qualities that differentiate nontraditional-hour child care from standard-hour care including their hours of operation and the activities, routines, and practices they follow during each nontraditional-hour care schedule.
Provider Experiences with Nontraditional-Hour Child Care
Providers report their experiences caring for children during nontraditional hours, their motivations for offering this care, and the challenges they face. The report examines why some providers choose not to offer nontraditional-hour child care and strategies to increase its supply.
