Whether school vacation just plain snuck up on you this year or your child care plans fell through, there's still hope for finding a great solution during February break. Try these three tips for getting started and you may just find your care needs are solved!

Organize a Care Swap
Other parents at your child's school may be in the same boat. Try sending around an email to the parents of your child's friends to see if anyone would be interested in a rotating swap arrangement for the vacation week, with one parent or family taking the kids each day. Five families, five days of the vacation week, only one day of commitment per parent or family. Bingo!

Reach out to local students and off-duty teachers
With their own spring break plans (and expenses) in mind, local high school and college students may be ready and willing to pick up extra babysitting or short-term nanny duties. Check with local colleges and universities, or post a job with an online service like Care.com. Or, while you may not want to hire a teacher from your child's own school, teachers from other nearby schools who haven't made plans for the break may be happy to pick up some extra cash and part-time work by watching your kids.

Affordable local programs
Community organizations and resources, like museums, recreation centers, university child development centers, and libraries have started to offer "camps" during spring school vacations. The Office of Work/Life Resources at Harvard, for example, has compiled a sampling of programs around the Boston area that range between $150 and $300 for the week per child, with half day, full day, and extended day options. You can also check with your town librarian, family center or local YMCA for more ideas.

Have a great tip for finding last-minute child care during school vacations, especially February break? Share it with the Care.com community by posting a comment!

Cheers,
Sheila