Childcare Benefits Employees Will Actually Use

Written By Ming .

Let’s be honest: most corporate back-up care programs are like gym memberships in January — good intentions, zero follow-through. They sound great on paper. But when it’s 7:32 AM and the nanny cancels, no one’s driving across town to a care center next to the office — especially when they’re working from home.

It’s time to fix that.

Let’s talk about back-up care that’s actually useful, flexible, and designed for the way employees work today.

Parenting Doesn’t Clock Out at 5

Childcare needs don’t follow business hours. School ends at 3. Meetings run until 6. And kids spike fevers at 2 AM like clockwork. Real support means showing up when families actually need it:

  • Early mornings, before the Teams messages start

  • Evenings and weekends, when Plan A (and B) falls through

  • School closures and sick days This isn’t about perks anymore. Flexibility is the floor — not the ceiling.

Traditional childcare centers do not support these types of needs.

WFH. WFO. WTF? Care That Works Wherever Work Happens

Once upon a time, work happened in offices. Five days a week. Now? It’s part Zoom call, part daycare dash, part “can someone watch the baby while I pitch to the board?”

Nearly 60% of U.S. employees work remotely at least part of the week. And yet, most back-up care benefits still expect parents to drop off their kids at a center conveniently located… next to an office they rarely visit.

That’s a mismatch.

Today’s care needs to flex with today’s workforce:

  • At home on remote days

  • Near the office — when they actually go in

  • In other cities when employees travel for work

Back-up care shouldn’t be built for commutes. It should be built for calendars.

The companies getting this right aren’t just supporting working parents — they’re adapting to how work actually works now.

Ready to Offer Childcare Benefits That Actually Get Used?

Apiari helps companies deliver flexible, reliable back-up care that works with modern schedules and real life.

Not just a perk — a benefit that matters, every time it’s needed.

👉 Book a demo to see what real support looks like.


Ming .