If you haven't begun to think about it yet, now is the time to firm up your kids' summer child care arrangements. Will you be going with the same babysitter you used last summer, or relying on friends and family members to help out? Keep in mind that another option is summer camp.
Sending your kids to summer camp may not fill all of the child care gaps in your summer schedule, but a mosaic of different camp programs can be fun for your kids, and may decrease your dependence on others to provide daytime babysitting while you're at work.
Some of the summer camp brochures I've received recently include summer recreation camps offered through our school district, zoo school, and sports clinics.
If you're able to work out the transportation issue by carpooling with other families, these short-term summer camp opportunities can become an effective component of your summer child care plan. For a complete list of ideas, read The Single Parents' Summer Camp and Child Care Guide.
In addition, if you've found a summer child care option that has worked well for you in the past, take a moment to share it with our readers.