What is backup care?
Backup care is,
- Occasional, part time or sporadic care to supplement your primary care needs.
- Backup care covers gaps in your regular childcare, adult care, or elder care.
- Your company may have defined backup care more specifically in your unique benefit package. Check out your specific company's benefit site and guide for more information.
Regular care is,
- Care that is provided on a uniformly and ongoing schedule such as daily. So even if that care is covering a gap, unless that gap is temporary, it likely does not fall under the category of backup care.
- Due to tax and legal limitations, backup care does not include full time or regular care. This includes regular care from care centers and full time providers such as nannies.
Examples of backup care include,
- School is temporarily closed
- Your go-to caregiver or nanny isn’t available because they are on vacation
- You are traveling
- You need help while you’re working from home
- You have an unexpected work need or extra long work day
- You just need some extra care for a few hours
- Generally, up to 1 week (5 days) of consecutive camp care could be considered backup but longer than that would be considered regular, ongoing care.
If you are unsure if your specific care case is considered backup care, email support@hellohelpr.com and we'll be happy to help!
Check out the Helpr FAQ page for benefit users outside of the US here!