The Cry for Coworking and Childcare

For remote workers with young children, the choice to work from home may be an obvious one because it’s cheaper than day care. Yet what about the constant distractions of crying babies and cute, but untimely little fingers pulling at your shirt while you’re trying to focus?

A coworking facility that offers childcare would be the best solution yet while coworking excels in dissipating home-related distractions, it still struggles to accommodate the provide for children.

As reported by Meg Graham in the Chicago Tribune in 2015, there are many obstacles to overcome for a coworking space that wants to double as a day care. “Regulations for licensed childcare are tricky. Branding a coworking facility as a daycare might rule out those without kids. Locations that work well for coworking might not be ideal for daycare.” And most coworkers don’t even work full-time at one space.

To resolve this last hitch, some spaces try offering experimental popup childcare. For instance, Free Range Office has previously partnered with Collide Coworking to provide popup babysitting in a separate room. Yet this is rarely a regular option.

If you’re located in Berkeley, CA, Brooklyn, NY, Durham, NC, Arlington, VA, San Antonio, TX, Seattle, WA, or San Francisco, CA, then you’re in luck! Check out this list of coworking + childcare spaces offered in each city.

But if you’re located in Chicago, there are currently no coworking and childcare spaces so it is up to you to talk to your fellow coworkers and work up the momentum for your favorite spaces or other entrepreneurs to accommodate childcare. Until then, if you’re working at Free Range, here are a few childcare centers in the neighborhood.

• Located right next to Free Range on North Avenue is JCYS offers toddler care and preschool. I speak from experience that it is a wonderful, having attended their Lakeview location when I was a child. You can find a description of prices here for a time period of mid August to early June.

• New Einsteins Academy is an eco-friendly childcare and preschool nearby in on Damen with another location in Ravenswood. The tuition ranges from around $900 for two days a week to a little less than $2000 for 5 days/week.

• Marisol’s is a Day Care home closer to Ukrainian village near Western and Augusta.

• Willow Tree Child Care is in Logan Square just off the Western Blue Line stop and comes to about $198/week.

• Kaleido Kids is another fun option on Damen Avenue in Bucktown, though it’s a bit on the pricier side.