Interim Child Care Options

Most families will encounter childcare disruptions due to closures, illness, or other unexpected events. When you need a temporary solution, consider these options.

Carnegie Mellon University Resources

Backup Care Days: CMU offers 15 emergency backup care days for eligible staff, faculty and graduate students, which are available at a subsidized rate through the Care for Business program. Co-pay for in-home child care is $4 per hour, and co-pay for in-center child care is $10/child per day. Backup care days can be scheduled with as little as 24 hours notice and up to 90 days in advance.

Reimbursement is available if you choose to use your own care provider. A LifeCare Family care specialist can assist with the job posting and screening process.

Child Care Center Options

• Jeremiah’s Place: This emergency nursery is available to all families in Pittsburgh. It is free of charge and will take your child if you are experiencing a last-minute loss of child care and need to work. You must complete an intake process before you can begin care. It is first come, first served, so they cannot guarantee they will have space every day. This is meant to be a limited service.
• Solid Foundations Academy LLC: Offers drop-in child care for children 6 weeks–10 years old at its locations in Wexford and Allison Park. Reservations are highly recommended to guarantee available space.
• Tutor Time of Pittsburgh: Offers a flex care program for families to purchase child care days in advance. Days are good one year from purchase date. Call 48 hours in advance to reserve a drop-in care spot.
• Wexford Children’s Center: Drop-in child care is available for children ages 6 weeks through kindergarten. It is recommended to call one day in advance to reserve a spot.
• A Kid’s Place: Blocks of time are purchased in advance. Drop-in care typically requires 48-hour notice to schedule.

In-Home Care Options

• East Wind Nannies: Offers an on-call nanny service for last-minute or scheduled child care needs for families in the greater Pittsburgh area. Child care can be booked as late as the morning of the day care is needed, though last-minute bookings are dependent on caregiver availability and cannot be guaranteed. This service can be used after registering as a member for $199 a year, with rates at $35/hour with 24-hour notice, and $42/hour for less than 24-hour notice. You can request these services without becoming a member for an additional $5/hour charge.
• The Preferred Nanny: This app-based service specializes in on-call and temporary child care needs. There are no membership fees to use the app. Child care fees begin at $20 per hour for one child with a $5/hour agency fee. Additional agency fees may apply for last-minute bookings.

Care Shares

Coordinating child care with other families in your child’s classroom or school may offer a temporary solution when there is a disruption in child care. You can coordinate a schedule where one family watches your child along with their child a few days a week, while you take over caretaking for the children on other days. In doing so, you can use fewer of your PTO days while your child receives care.

You can also arrange a care share using a nanny or in-home care provider, though this may not be ideal for last minute, unforeseen disruptions in care that can be difficult to plan around. For more information, please view the Forming a Care Share section of our website.