����AV

Child care can be one of the biggest expenses working families face. But before you assume you have to cover the full cost of a nanny, babysitter, or caregiver yourself, take a closer look at your employee benefits.

You may already have access to affordable, professional child care through an

Many companies, universities, hospitals, and other major employers offer backup child care and adult care as part of their employee benefits packages. These programs help working families manage gaps in their regular care arrangements by subsidizing the cost of a qualified caregiver. The surprising part? Many employees never realize this benefit is available.

What Is Employer-Sponsored Backup Care?

Backup care is designed to help employees continue working when their regular child care arrangements fall through or when additional care is temporarily needed. Instead of paying the entire cost of a nanny or babysitter, families may pay a reduced rate or copay, with their employer covering a substantial portion of the expense.

Some employers work with national benefit providers such as Bright Horizons or Care.com to coordinate these programs. Care may then be provided by an experienced local agency, such as ����AV Family Care. Coverage varies by employer. Your plan determines how many days of care you receive, who is eligible, what you pay, and how care must be requested.

Backup Care Is Not Just for Emergencies

Many parents assume backup care is only available when their regular babysitter cancels at the last minute. In reality, these benefits can often be used for the predictable scheduling challenges families experience throughout the year.

Backup child care may help when:

• Your child’s school is closed for a holiday, teacher workday, or break.
• Your daycare or preschool closes unexpectedly.
• Your regular nanny or babysitter is sick or unavailable.
• You are returning to work after parental leave.
• Your child is mildly ill and cannot attend school or daycare, if your program allows sick-child care.
• You have an important meeting, training session, or work obligation outside your usual schedule.
• Your family needs help covering gaps during summer, winter, or spring break.
• Your work schedule temporarily changes, and your regular arrangements no longer fit.

Some programs allow families to reserve care in advance. That means you may be able to plan ahead for school holidays and scheduled closures instead of scrambling to find help.

Your Benefits May Include Adult Care, Too

Employer-sponsored backup care is not always limited to children. Many programs also offer support for employees caring for aging parents or other adult family members.

Adult backup care may include companionship, supervision, assistance with everyday routines, or temporary support when a regular caregiver is unavailable. Depending on the program, it may also be helpful when an older adult needs additional assistance following a medical appointment or procedure. For families balancing the needs of both children and aging parents, these benefits can provide meaningful financial relief and peace of mind.

Which Employers Offer Backup Care?

A wide range of employers have offered backup care benefits to eligible employees, including large corporations, universities, financial institutions, health systems, and professional services firms.

Examples may include organizations such as , , , Cushman & Wakefield, and . However, available benefits, eligibility requirements, participating locations, and program details can change, so employees should always verify their current coverage directly with their employer. If you work for a hospital, law firm, university, financial institution, technology company, or another major employer, it is worth taking a few minutes to investigate.

How to Find Out Whether You Have Backup Care

Start by logging in to your employee benefits portal and searching for terms such as:

• Backup care
• Back-up child care
• Family care benefits
• Dependent care
• Adult or elder care
• Bright Horizons
• Care.com or CareBenefits

You can also contact your human resources department and ask a simple question: “Do we offer an employer-sponsored backup child care or adult care benefit?” If the answer is yes, ask how many days of care are included, what your copay will be, whether you can request in-home care, and how far in advance you can schedule.

Register Before You Need Help

The best time to learn about your backup care benefit is before your nanny calls in sick or your child’s school announces a closure. If your employer offers a program, register as soon as possible. Add your children or eligible adult family members, review the available services, and familiarize yourself with the reservation process. Taking these steps in advance makes it much easier to arrange care when a scheduling challenge arises.

Experienced Local Care Through ����AV Family Care

For more than 40 years, ����AV Family Care has helped families find experienced, screened nannies, babysitters, and adult caregivers. ����AV also provides care through employer-sponsored backup care programs. This means families may be able to access ����AV’s experienced local caregivers through their existing workplace benefits while paying substantially less than the full cost of care. For working parents, the takeaway is simple: Before paying out of pocket, check your benefits.