Tags: Parents-and-Carers, Participant-Diversity, Scholarships

Childcare#

✅ Offer financial support for childcare.

  • Build it into your budget.

    • Link it to sponsorships, or university partners, or make part of the registration fee from all attendees go towards providing childcare support as service.

    • Add an option to the registration, e.g.: “Donate $20 to help with childcare costs.”

    • Collect the data on the registration form. How many people would make use of childcare services or grants?

  • In general, the two major options are either to 1) award childcare grants (people decide how to spend it, e.g. on their home babysitter) or 2) provide on-site services.

Grants#

  • Based on our research, grants to cover childcare costs seem to be more popular with attendees. (On-site childcare services can be costly for attendees because of additional travel costs for bringing children along.)

    • You might survey your participants to determine their preference for grants vs. on-site childcare services.

    • Be sure to consider issues like whether grant recipients will need to submit an invoice or receipt from someone (the childcare provider) with a Tax ID.

- For those who do bring kids to the event/conference:
   - Provide cost-free access to the conference center/venue for caregivers/babysitters
      - This allows caregivers to come to the conference for e.g. infant hand-offs (for nursing, for example) as opposed to parents losing additional time walking back to hotel rooms.

On-Site Services#

Further reading: