It is possible for parents to be good workers while simultaneously being the kinds of parents they want to be. Solutions do exist that allow parents to integrate work and the care of children, and we have found that the best way to arrive at these solutions is for parents to be very intentional about the choices they make.

Here are a few key questions to help you begin to define your Shared Care goals:

- Who do you want to care for your children?

- What are your children's needs now? How will these needs change over time?

And, most importantly,

- What do you have to gain by having two parents share in the work of meeting these changing needs?

This section of the website is designed to help you see how Shared Care encourages parents to be intentional about their choices, and to put the changing needs of family front and center when developing their work-family solution.

Deciding who will provide the care
We have found that parents interested in Shared Care often feel very differently about whether or not they want to use outside childcare; some are certain that they want to be the only ones providing care for their children, others are comfortable bringing in regular help from family and friends, and still others have found the perfect Shared Care solution by using outside regular part time child care. The best solution is clearly the one that feels right to you.

What option feels best to you? What option do you think your partner would prefer?

· Parents provide all the care
· Parents plus extended family or an informal kinship network provide the care
· Parents provide the care with the use of regular part time child care

Meeting the changing needs of children
It is also helpful for parents to know that once children enter school or preschool the amount of care required by parents dramatically decreases. In fact, it is important to recognize that Shared Care solutions change as individuals, families, and children's ages change. We believe all families move through three stages as they strive to balance work and the care of their children.

The New Family stage is the shortest and most intense stage of parenting. Whether this stage describes the very early years of the first or the very last child, it describes all families with infants and toddlers at home.

The Early School Age stage is when the family's youngest child starts school (or preschool), and marks the dramatic shift from all-day childcare coverage to before and after school care coverage.

The Transitional Family stage includes families where a child is transitioning into young adulthood, from approximately ages thirteen to twenty.

To find out more about what Shared Care looks like and why it is well suited for each of these different family stages, click on the above links or take a look at one of our different Shared Care Stories.

To learn more about how to redesign your work to create time to care for your children, go to the Redesigning Work section of this website, or check out one of the many Services we have to offer to get you started on your Shared Care plans today.

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