If your employer offers a backup care benefit, use it: those days are subsidised and you've already paid for them through your benefits. EnrollPass is for the parents who don't have one, for the school closure days when benefit networks are hardest to book, and for families who would rather their child went to the same licensed home down the road each time.
How employer backup care benefits work
Large employers buy backup care as a benefit, most often from Bright Horizons, which runs more than a thousand childcare centres worldwide. Staff get an allowance of subsidised days each year and pay a small copay when they use one. The published terms vary by employer: one university gives 15 days a year with a $15 per child daily copay at a centre, while another gives 200 hours a year at $5 an hour in a centre or $9 an hour at home.
Care is delivered at network centres or by caregivers from agencies the provider contracts with. Reservations open around 90 days ahead and close about 24 hours before, and at least one employer warns its staff that same-day requests are difficult to fill, especially during school breaks. When the network can't fill a request, some plans let the parent arrange their own caregiver and claim part of the cost back.
Side by side
| Employer backup care benefit | EnrollPass | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Employees of companies that buy the benefit. Some plans exclude temporary staff, retirees and people without health coverage. | Any parent. Employers can also sponsor days for their staff. |
| What you pay | A subsidised copay. Published university plans show figures such as $15 per child per day at a centre, or $8–$9 an hour for in-home care. Your employer sets the amount. | The provider's own day or half-day rate, with no benefit required. |
| How much you get | A set allowance a year — for example 15 days at one employer, 200 hours at another. | No annual cap. Book the days you need. |
| Where the care happens | Network centres and agency caregivers, concentrated in cities and near large employers. | Licensed family child care homes and small centres in your own neighbourhood. |
| How far ahead you book | From about 90 days ahead down to roughly 24 hours. Same-day requests are hard to fill, particularly during school breaks. | Same day where a provider has space for your child's age, and school closure days bookable months ahead. |
| If nothing is available | Some plans let you find your own caregiver and claim part of the cost back. | You are booking the local network directly, and you can see what's open. |
| The same provider each time | Not usually. You get whichever centre or caregiver is free. | The aim is one familiar home your child returns to. |
| Regular weekly care | Not covered. Backup benefits are for occasional days only. | Standing bookings, such as afternoons after transitional kindergarten, are planned for launch. |
Benefit figures are examples from employers who publish their plan terms, listed under Sources. Yours will differ. EnrollPass is preparing to launch in Santa Clara County, California.
Who each one suits
An employer benefit is the better option when…
- Your employer offers one, and you have days left in your allowance.
- You need care in a city where the network has centres, or while travelling for work.
- You need adult or elder care as well, which many of these plans include.
EnrollPass is the better option when…
- You don't have a benefit, because your company is small, or you contract, freelance or run your own business.
- You've used your allowance, or the day you need falls in a school break when the network is stretched.
- You want care a few minutes from home rather than near an office.
- You'd rather your child returned to the same familiar home, with the same provider, each time.
- You need something regular, such as the afternoon after transitional kindergarten, which backup benefits don't cover.
The days benefits struggle with
The biggest childcare gaps in a year aren't emergencies. They're staff development days, minimum days and break weeks, published on the district calendar months in advance. Because every family in a district needs care on exactly those days, that is when any shared network is under the most pressure.
EnrollPass is built around that fact: local providers commit seats for those dates ahead of time, so the day is reserved rather than requested. See the guide to planning school closure days.
Already have a benefit? You can often use both
These aren't mutually exclusive. Use your subsidised days first. Then, if your plan includes the option to arrange your own care and claim part of it back, a licensed EnrollPass provider can be that care. Check your plan's rules before you book, and ask your provider for a receipt showing the date, the child and the amount.
For employers too small for an enterprise contract
Enterprise backup care is sold to large employers. If you have 20 to 500 people, you have the same problem and none of the options: staff lose days when childcare falls through, and an enterprise contract is out of reach.
EnrollPass is building a simpler version: sponsor a number of days a year for your team, pay for the days actually used, and have the care happen at licensed programs near where your employees live. Talk to us about a pilot.
Can I get backup childcare without an employer benefit?
Yes. Employer backup care programs are only open to staff at companies that buy them, but licensed providers can take drop-in and backup bookings from any family. EnrollPass is being built so parents can book that care directly, with the enrollment paperwork already done.
Is EnrollPass an alternative to Bright Horizons?
For families who can't use a benefit, yes. For families who can, the two work together: use the subsidised days your employer pays for, and use EnrollPass for the days the benefit can't cover or when you'd rather your child went to the same nearby home each time.
Can I use my employer's backup care reimbursement with EnrollPass?
Often, but it depends on your plan. Many backup care benefits include an option to arrange your own care and claim some of the cost back. Check your plan's rules first and keep the receipt from your provider.
Is care guaranteed?
No, and we won't claim otherwise. Every booking is accepted by a licensed provider who decides whether it fits their license and the group of children in care that day. What we can do is get closure days booked early, while there is still space.
How much does backup childcare cost without a benefit?
It depends on the provider, the length of the day and your area, so ask each program for its day and half-day rates. If you have a dependent care FSA, care that lets you work is generally eligible; check your plan.
Does my employer have to sign anything for me to use EnrollPass?
No. Parents book directly. Employers can sponsor days for their staff if they want to, which is useful for companies too small for an enterprise backup care contract.