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.
Backup care is not intended as a replacement for routine childcare arrangements.
Care for Business Backup Care
Northwestern offers a subsidized childcare backup care program through Care for Business, 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 for Business to find in-home backup care. If in conversation with Care.com 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 $125 per day by submitting paperwork to them.
- Please note Summer Camp is not reimbursable for back-up care.
- Unused days do not roll over
Call 855-781-1303 or login to the Care for Business portal through MyHR Benefits by clicking on the care.com icon in the benefits section to access vetted, experienced Care.com employees and area centers for backup childcare.
To login as a Northwestern Graduate student, please use this login portal.
We recommend registering for your Care for Business account before the need arises and requesting care as early as possible.