RTO and No Childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than a few months early in COVID were all daycares shut down. Never in my fed office has it been acceptable to not have daycare. Not sure why folks think they can work AND watch kids. Those are two jobs and you can't do either fully if you're trying to do both at the same time.

How are some of you this stupid?

If you have elementary aged kids (which is the situation most people in this thread are discussing), you generally don’t need to “watch” them when they get home from school - but you do need to be *available* in case there is some sort of emergency. There is absolutely zero reason why a parent can’t work effectively from a home office while their school aged kids play in the next room (or the backyard).

I understand your perspective, but it’s important to consider both the legal and practical implications of supervising children while working from home, especially in government roles.

Balancing work and childcare isn’t just a personal decision; it has legal and professional requirements. Telework agreements for government employees explicitly state that appropriate childcare arrangements must be in place while working. It’s illegal to manage both responsibilities simultaneously, whether you're physically supervising or just "listening in." You're expected to fully account for your work hours, with no distractions from other responsibilities.

Childcare While Teleworking: A Professional Expectation
Think of childcare the same way you would if you were in the office: the expectation is that your children are being cared for by someone else. Telework is a convenience, not a substitute for childcare. It was never intended to subsidize your childcare needs but rather to provide flexibility for where you work, not how you manage dual responsibilities.

Age Guidelines and Childcare Needs
8 years and under: Must always be in the care of a responsible person. They should never be left unsupervised in homes, cars, playgrounds, or yards.
9 to 10 years: May be left unsupervised for up to 1.5 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
11 to 12 years: May be left unsupervised for up to 3 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
13 to 15 years: May be left unsupervised for more than 3 hours but not overnight.
16 and older: May be left unsupervised overnight for 1 to 2 days with a plan in place.
These guidelines underscore that children, especially elementary-aged, require supervision. Teleworking doesn’t change that responsibility. For your role to remain compliant and effective, proper childcare arrangements must be in place, ensuring both your productivity and your children’s safety.

Listen, dummy. Y’all don’t get to gaslight us anymore about what’s illegal or ethical when it comes to Federal employment after voting that traitor back into office. Just stop.

Biden is leaving and i hopefully you will too whether by RTO or by being on the black list of troubled and treasonous govt workers

Oh, sorry. I suppose you’re right and that the narrative will soon be that those of us who DIDN’T try to prevent the peaceful transfer of power are the real traitors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People forget that before COVID working from home agreements stated you must have childcare if you have minor children at home and you are working from home. That was relaxed during COVID because of labor shortages and the fact no one wanted to work. However that time has passed so you must have childcare at home or take PTO.

Thanks HR. That's not what this thread is about. Try reading.

The point is that a cushy govt job funded by tax payers shouldn't subsidize your childcare costs

That “cushy” government job pays well below market rate for many employees with high levels of education. The flexibility *is* part of the compensation. If you effectively decrease people’s pay that will affect recruitment and retention. Which clearly you are ok with.

But literally everybody’s job is “subsidizing” aka paying for their life expenses in some way.

Before COVID govt workers came in 5 days a week and there are childcare options tied to the govt building. So yes nut up or shut up

This is false. I’ve been a fed attorney for 15 years and almost every attorney I know across various agencies has had some version of telework for many years prior to 2020. Obviously not every job is amenable to telework, but many are and have been for a long time. So your supposed knowledge of the fed workforce is inaccurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

Our public elementary in DCPS definitely does want have transportation to activities.

Elementary school kids don’t need to be bused to activities. aftercare is fine.

It is fine. But it’s not great.

Being able to come right home from school to play with neighborhood friends, go to an extracurricular that they’re interested in, or even just have some free play is better. I know being out of the house 45-50 hours/week (i.e. 8-5:30/6) is tiring for many adults, I wouldn’t choose this for a young elementary kid. It is fine if it is what you have to do, but let’s not act like this is more ideal than kids getting to play soccer, learn an instrument, take tutoring classes, go to scouts meetings, etc. and having a family meal together.

if that’s your ideal AND you want both parents to work FT, you need a better plan than assuming that covid-era telework (for positions that are not actually fully remote) will last forever.

I have some millennial coworkers who had kids and bought houses way out in the burbs during covid. I feel for them but truly, they shouldn’t have counted on max telework lasting indefinitely. I also have a GenX coworker who relocated across the country during covid - at least she fully knows she’ll be terminated when they eventually catch up to her.

Except the plan had gone fine for over a decade now …

All of you calling telework a “COVID era” thing are really behind the times. My DH is in the private sector and has had some form of telework (either hybrid or full time like now) since at least 2010.

But that hasn't been allowed for feds except for at the height of the pandemic. And the pp didn't describe telework. She described bailing from work mid-afternoon to take her kids to practices and activities.

Where are you getting your bad info? Yes telework increased with COVID, but it was not a novel concept. Many agencies are already back to pre-pandemic levels of telework. DOGE wants to travel back in time to 1990, not 2020.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone tell me how employees in private sectors handle all these childcare issues post-covid? For example, nurses, EMTs, polce officiers, teachers, supermarket workers, factory workers, etc.

Honestly, these people never took their kids out of childcare because they have never done WFH. They don’t have to worry about waitlists, etc. because they never gave up their child care slots to begin with.

I can't believe you cite this reason. Most kids of these parents in childcare pre-covid should be out of childcare by now (that's 5 yrs ago).

Some of them must have put their kids in childcare the first time after covid. How did they do it?

Also, many of us didn’t “give up” our childcare slots during covid. Our kids LOST their slots because their childcare centers were either closed or the capacity was drastically reduced.

And many centers even only offered care for people with essential in-person jobs. Those of us with telework were asked to take our kids out. I paid a lot more $ for a nanny and a pod teacher during COVID so my childcare expenses were way up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

Our public elementary in DCPS definitely does want have transportation to activities.

Elementary school kids don’t need to be bused to activities. aftercare is fine.

It is fine. But it’s not great.

Being able to come right home from school to play with neighborhood friends, go to an extracurricular that they’re interested in, or even just have some free play is better. I know being out of the house 45-50 hours/week (i.e. 8-5:30/6) is tiring for many adults, I wouldn’t choose this for a young elementary kid. It is fine if it is what you have to do, but let’s not act like this is more ideal than kids getting to play soccer, learn an instrument, take tutoring classes, go to scouts meetings, etc. and having a family meal together.

if that’s your ideal AND you want both parents to work FT, you need a better plan than assuming that covid-era telework (for positions that are not actually fully remote) will last forever.

I have some millennial coworkers who had kids and bought houses way out in the burbs during covid. I feel for them but truly, they shouldn’t have counted on max telework lasting indefinitely. I also have a GenX coworker who relocated across the country during covid - at least she fully knows she’ll be terminated when they eventually catch up to her.

Except the plan had gone fine for over a decade now …

All of you calling telework a “COVID era” thing are really behind the times. My DH is in the private sector and has had some form of telework (either hybrid or full time like now) since at least 2010.

But that hasn't been allowed for feds except for at the height of the pandemic. And the pp didn't describe telework. She described bailing from work mid-afternoon to take her kids to practices and activities.

Where are you getting your bad info? Yes telework increased with COVID, but it was not a novel concept. Many agencies are already back to pre-pandemic levels of telework. DOGE wants to travel back in time to 1990, not 2020.

I keep hearing this, but I haven't been able to find anything that says the plan is to completely eliminate workplace flexibility. Where are you seeing this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

Our public elementary in DCPS definitely does want have transportation to activities.

Elementary school kids don’t need to be bused to activities. aftercare is fine.

It is fine. But it’s not great.

Being able to come right home from school to play with neighborhood friends, go to an extracurricular that they’re interested in, or even just have some free play is better. I know being out of the house 45-50 hours/week (i.e. 8-5:30/6) is tiring for many adults, I wouldn’t choose this for a young elementary kid. It is fine if it is what you have to do, but let’s not act like this is more ideal than kids getting to play soccer, learn an instrument, take tutoring classes, go to scouts meetings, etc. and having a family meal together.

if that’s your ideal AND you want both parents to work FT, you need a better plan than assuming that covid-era telework (for positions that are not actually fully remote) will last forever.

I have some millennial coworkers who had kids and bought houses way out in the burbs during covid. I feel for them but truly, they shouldn’t have counted on max telework lasting indefinitely. I also have a GenX coworker who relocated across the country during covid - at least she fully knows she’ll be terminated when they eventually catch up to her.

Except the plan had gone fine for over a decade now …

All of you calling telework a “COVID era” thing are really behind the times. My DH is in the private sector and has had some form of telework (either hybrid or full time like now) since at least 2010.

But that hasn't been allowed for feds except for at the height of the pandemic. And the pp didn't describe telework. She described bailing from work mid-afternoon to take her kids to practices and activities.

Where are you getting your bad info? Yes telework increased with COVID, but it was not a novel concept. Many agencies are already back to pre-pandemic levels of telework. DOGE wants to travel back in time to 1990, not 2020.

I keep hearing this, but I haven't been able to find anything that says the plan is to completely eliminate workplace flexibility. Where are you seeing this?

The whole concept of 5 days per week in an office dates back to pre internet basically. As technology has increased, telework has grown. I had telework as a new hire fed in 2009 and many of my coworkers had been doing it for years prior. It used to be much clunkier, but a lot of kinks were worked out during COVID to get rid of paper documents that needed in-person work.

If DOGE wanted to go back to 2019 era work, that would be one thing. But they’re trying to make new, draconian changes *with the explicit purpose of causing people to quit.*

Regardless of your personal thoughts on WAH, I don’t know how anybody is totally unconcerned with some unelected billionaires bragging all over the news how they’re going to make fed employees miserable and quit. That is literal insanity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People forget that before COVID working from home agreements stated you must have childcare if you have minor children at home and you are working from home. That was relaxed during COVID because of labor shortages and the fact no one wanted to work. However that time has passed so you must have childcare at home or take PTO.

Thanks HR. That's not what this thread is about. Try reading.

The point is that a cushy govt job funded by tax payers shouldn't subsidize your childcare costs

That “cushy” government job pays well below market rate for many employees with high levels of education. The flexibility *is* part of the compensation. If you effectively decrease people’s pay that will affect recruitment and retention. Which clearly you are ok with.

But literally everybody’s job is “subsidizing” aka paying for their life expenses in some way.

Before COVID govt workers came in 5 days a week and there are childcare options tied to the govt building. So yes nut up or shut up

This is false. I’ve been a fed attorney for 15 years and almost every attorney I know across various agencies has had some version of telework for many years prior to 2020. Obviously not every job is amenable to telework, but many are and have been for a long time. So your supposed knowledge of the fed workforce is inaccurate.

My husband is IT and teleworked long before covid and now has to return to office. The RTO is going to cause lots of traffic and other issues on top of lifestyle. Hope the gov't and private companies are willing to have employees work 9-5 again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

Our public elementary in DCPS definitely does want have transportation to activities.

Elementary school kids don’t need to be bused to activities. aftercare is fine.

It is fine. But it’s not great.

Being able to come right home from school to play with neighborhood friends, go to an extracurricular that they’re interested in, or even just have some free play is better. I know being out of the house 45-50 hours/week (i.e. 8-5:30/6) is tiring for many adults, I wouldn’t choose this for a young elementary kid. It is fine if it is what you have to do, but let’s not act like this is more ideal than kids getting to play soccer, learn an instrument, take tutoring classes, go to scouts meetings, etc. and having a family meal together.

if that’s your ideal AND you want both parents to work FT, you need a better plan than assuming that covid-era telework (for positions that are not actually fully remote) will last forever.

I have some millennial coworkers who had kids and bought houses way out in the burbs during covid. I feel for them but truly, they shouldn’t have counted on max telework lasting indefinitely. I also have a GenX coworker who relocated across the country during covid - at least she fully knows she’ll be terminated when they eventually catch up to her.

Except the plan had gone fine for over a decade now …

All of you calling telework a “COVID era” thing are really behind the times. My DH is in the private sector and has had some form of telework (either hybrid or full time like now) since at least 2010.

But that hasn't been allowed for feds except for at the height of the pandemic. And the pp didn't describe telework. She described bailing from work mid-afternoon to take her kids to practices and activities.

Where are you getting your bad info? Yes telework increased with COVID, but it was not a novel concept. Many agencies are already back to pre-pandemic levels of telework. DOGE wants to travel back in time to 1990, not 2020.

I keep hearing this, but I haven't been able to find anything that says the plan is to completely eliminate workplace flexibility. Where are you seeing this?

The whole concept of 5 days per week in an office dates back to pre internet basically. As technology has increased, telework has grown. I had telework as a new hire fed in 2009 and many of my coworkers had been doing it for years prior. It used to be much clunkier, but a lot of kinks were worked out during COVID to get rid of paper documents that needed in-person work.

If DOGE wanted to go back to 2019 era work, that would be one thing. But they’re trying to make new, draconian changes *with the explicit purpose of causing people to quit.*

Regardless of your personal thoughts on WAH, I don’t know how anybody is totally unconcerned with some unelected billionaires bragging all over the news how they’re going to make fed employees miserable and quit. That is literal insanity.

Ok but you didn't answer the question. Where does it say that DOGE is going to completely eliminate workplace flexibility? My personal thoughts are that they are likely all insane, but I haven't read anything from a credible source that says we're going back to five days in the office with no flexible work at all. If you have seen this from a credible source, please share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone tell me how employees in private sectors handle all these childcare issues post-covid? For example, nurses, EMTs, polce officiers, teachers, supermarket workers, factory workers, etc.

EMTs, police, and teachers aren't private sector workers.

But they live and work in the suburbs, eliminating the commute issue. Or they and their spouse work shifts, so they can stagger their availability. Shift work also allows them to commute at off times.

Please don’t make the assumption that we have it easier.

My suburb commute to the high school in which I work is 40 minutes. My spouse’s suburb commute is 35 in another direction.

Even with shift work, we need help with the overlap. And so we face the same problems you do, and we have to pay for care.

The difference is we are used to working away from the home, and so RTO means nothing to us. We’ve been doing this all along.

My apologies. I didn't mean to assume. I work with a lot of LEOs and my observations are that some, but certainly not all, are able to make it work in the ways I mentioned above. Obviously teachers, EMTs, and police aren't immune from the same childcare issues that conventional 9-5 (or 8-6, I guess) workers face.

Teachers generally get out at the same time as their kids. Very different. I quit years ago due to child care costs. It would have taken my entire pay check for one child. Not worth it.

Not if your child goes to another school, which is often the case.

My school gets out at 3:30. My child needs to be picked up at 2:50, 20 minutes away.

That's not as bad as getting home at 6:30-8 when you have a 90 minimute minimum commute and you are dealing with people on the West coast or other countries so even if you start work at 7-8 you cannot leave till much later and often work while driving home.

Long before covid, I quit. The cost of child care and a nanny to pick up my kid from child care due to my work hours would have cost more than my take home. People complain about the shortages with jobs but don't get it doesn't pay enough to make it worthwhile to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

I've never been to, nor parented at a school where the after school program took kids to activities. The AC we have has kids from dismissal (3:30) to 6:30PM. They are at the school the entire time and require transportation to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

I've never been to, nor parented at a school where the after school program took kids to activities. The AC we have has kids from dismissal (3:30) to 6:30PM. They are at the school the entire time and require transportation to leave.

Some private programs will pick up kids and drop them off. Some schools have so many kids going to an activity which is also after school care that they have a school bus for that. However, most regular activities require a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

I've never been to, nor parented at a school where the after school program took kids to activities. The AC we have has kids from dismissal (3:30) to 6:30PM. They are at the school the entire time and require transportation to leave.

You might be surprised. I know there are at least 5 programs that pick up kids from our school, and the school buses will drop kids off at a handful more daycare programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

Our public elementary in DCPS definitely does want have transportation to activities.

Elementary school kids don’t need to be bused to activities. aftercare is fine.

It is fine. But it’s not great.

Being able to come right home from school to play with neighborhood friends, go to an extracurricular that they’re interested in, or even just have some free play is better. I know being out of the house 45-50 hours/week (i.e. 8-5:30/6) is tiring for many adults, I wouldn’t choose this for a young elementary kid. It is fine if it is what you have to do, but let’s not act like this is more ideal than kids getting to play soccer, learn an instrument, take tutoring classes, go to scouts meetings, etc. and having a family meal together.

if that’s your ideal AND you want both parents to work FT, you need a better plan than assuming that covid-era telework (for positions that are not actually fully remote) will last forever.

I have some millennial coworkers who had kids and bought houses way out in the burbs during covid. I feel for them but truly, they shouldn’t have counted on max telework lasting indefinitely. I also have a GenX coworker who relocated across the country during covid - at least she fully knows she’ll be terminated when they eventually catch up to her.

Except the plan had gone fine for over a decade now …

All of you calling telework a “COVID era” thing are really behind the times. My DH is in the private sector and has had some form of telework (either hybrid or full time like now) since at least 2010.

But that hasn't been allowed for feds except for at the height of the pandemic. And the pp didn't describe telework. She described bailing from work mid-afternoon to take her kids to practices and activities.

Where are you getting your bad info? Yes telework increased with COVID, but it was not a novel concept. Many agencies are already back to pre-pandemic levels of telework. DOGE wants to travel back in time to 1990, not 2020.

PP here. Yes, telework has long been allowed (my agency actually has more restrictive telework policies now than before COVID). But teleworking while caring for dependents was expressly prohibited. Agencies loosened that prohibition during the pandemic when schools and child care centers were closed. Look earlier in the reply chain to see what was being discussed- it wasn't telework in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone tell me how employees in private sectors handle all these childcare issues post-covid? For example, nurses, EMTs, polce officiers, teachers, supermarket workers, factory workers, etc.

Honestly, these people never took their kids out of childcare because they have never done WFH. They don’t have to worry about waitlists, etc. because they never gave up their child care slots to begin with.

I can't believe you cite this reason. Most kids of these parents in childcare pre-covid should be out of childcare by now (that's 5 yrs ago).

Some of them must have put their kids in childcare the first time after covid. How did they do it?

Also, many of us didn’t “give up” our childcare slots during covid. Our kids LOST their slots because their childcare centers were either closed or the capacity was drastically reduced.

And many centers even only offered care for people with essential in-person jobs. Those of us with telework were asked to take our kids out. I paid a lot more $ for a nanny and a pod teacher during COVID so my childcare expenses were way up.

Yes, that happened. But that only lasted a few months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

I think you’re ranting about things you have no idea about. Kids can’t transport themselves? The aftercare programs all have buses and vans that pick up at our school. Parents don’t need to drive their kids to ballet or karate or gymnastics.

I'm so glad your data point of one is universal.

What school doesn't have that? Give us an example.

I've never been to, nor parented at a school where the after school program took kids to activities. The AC we have has kids from dismissal (3:30) to 6:30PM. They are at the school the entire time and require transportation to leave.

You might be surprised. I know there are at least 5 programs that pick up kids from our school, and the school buses will drop kids off at a handful more daycare programs.

None of this matters if all programs are full - and that includes school-based/county SACC and private programs. And believe me, they are all full in our neighborhood. And even if they aren't full, the private programs are wildly expensive. The ones that aren't expensive are sketchy. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I will go in five days a week. Sign me up. But I can't do 8 hours at a desk in the office. I have to have flexibility to navigate traffic, commute, and getting kids to and from school.