Backup and Drop-In Care
Backup care, also known as drop-in care, is short-term care you access when your regular childcare arrangements fall through. You can use backup care when, for example:- Your child’s school/childcare center is closed for a holiday or in-service.
- Your baby sitter cancels unexpectedly.
- Your nanny is sick.
- You have to work outside your regular hours.
- Your child is mildly ill.
- You are at a conference with your family and require care for your children.
- Other: if you would like to discuss whether any other situations would qualify for back-up care, please contact the Office of Well-being
Backup care is not intended as a replacement for routine childcare arrangements.
Care@Work Backup Care
Northwestern offers a subsidized childcare backup care program through Care@Work, separate from the Care.com digital marketplace. This program allows faculty, staff, graduate students and postdocs to:
- Find vetted in-home or center-based backup care providers, when regular care falls through.
- Utilize a subsidized rate for up to 10 days (minimum 4 hours/maximum 10 hours) per academic year:
- In-home care: $6/hour, available for care 24 hours/7 days a week
- Day care center-based care: $10/day, available for care during business hours
- You must contact Care@Work to find in-home backup care. If in conversation with Care@Work they are unable to fill your in-home backup care request, they may authorize you to source a caregiver from your personal network (you will be responsible for hiring, vetting, and negotiating rates) and receive reimbursement up to $100 per day by submitting paperwork to them.
- Unused days do not roll over
We recommend registering for your Care@Work account before the need arises and requesting care as early as possible.
For more information about the Care@Work Backup Care Program, contact wellbeing@northwestern.edu.
Area Drop-In Care
In addition to the Care@Work Backup Care Program, Northwestern faculty, staff, students and postdocs may also access center-based backup/drop-in care at the following University partnership centers (the center’s standard rate will apply):Sick childcare
If your child is ill and cannot attend their regular childcare provider, contact Kanella Maniatis at Illinois Action for Children for referral to special, in-home sick child care providers.