Did your babysitter fall through today? Maybe your childcare center was flooded and closed down this week for cleanup? Does Grandpa need constant supervision but you haven’t found a permanent caregiver with whom you feel comfortable?

Launched in January, the Division of Human Resources’ Backup Care Program offers Penn faculty and staff last minute, in-home care. Dependents of any age can receive emergency care through a partnership with Parents in a Pinch, Inc., an outside agency that provides expert in-home backup child and adult care.

Full-time employees who have an unexpected interruption in their regular dependent-care routine but still need to go to work can use the service for short-notice, temporary-care occurrences. The University also provides a subsidy to help make backup care services more affordable.

Since its inception, the program has already provided 18 total days of care for eight Penn employees. While most were for routine childcare, there were six requests for sick childcare and one for adult daycare.

“Balancing work and home responsibilities is never easy,” says Jack Heuer, vice president for human resources. “But when you have an emergency or your regular care option isn’t available, that balance is even more difficult. Backup care provides a safety net that lets you keep up with both your professional and personal responsibilities.”

The Backup Care Program is one of several new initiatives in Penn’s multiyear plan to expand family-friendly benefits. Others include the Adoption Assistance Program and Snow Day Child Care. For more information about Worklife Balance Programs and Resources, click here.