--- title: Building a Summer Safety Net | Thread description: "Five practical, low-cost tactics for quality summer parent support: camp stipends, flexible hours and inclusive ERGs, for small to mid-sized firms." image: https://ens3xeax5jd.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/being-a-work-from-home-mom.jpg --- - - - - [Solutions](https://threadhcm.com/solutions/) - [Applicant Tracking](https://threadhcm.com/applicant-tracking/) - [Human Resources](https://threadhcm.com/human-resources/) - [Payroll](https://threadhcm.com/payroll/) - [Time](https://threadhcm.com/time/) - [Benefits Enrollment](https://threadhcm.com/benefits/) - [ACA Compliance](https://threadhcm.com/aca-compliance/) - [Employee Experience](https://threadhcm.com/employee-experience/) - [Learning Management](https://threadhcm.com/learning-management-system/) - [HR Consulting](https://threadhcm.com/hr-consulting/) - Resources - [Daily Thread Blog](https://blog.threadhcm.com/) - [Free Webinars](https://threadhcm.com/webinars/) - [isolved Releases](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/isolved-releases) - [HR eAlerts](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/hr-ealerts) - [Infographics](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/infographics) - [Press Releases](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/press-release) - [![Thread HCM](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Thread_February2020%20Theme/Images/thread-logo-green.png?width=100&height=100&name=thread-logo-green.png "Thread HCM")](https://threadhcm.com) - [Your Happiness](https://threadhcm.com/measuring-your-happiness/) - About - [Our Story](https://threadhcm.com/our-story/) - [Our Culture](https://threadhcm.com/our-culture/) - [Our Team](https://threadhcm.com/team/) - [Associations & More](https://threadhcm.com/associations/) - Contact - [Get In Touch](https://threadhcm.com/contact/) - [Careers at Thread](https://threadhcm.com/careers/) - [Broker or advisor?](https://threadhcm.com/partners/) - [Client Referrals](https://offers.threadhcm.com/refer-a-friend) - [Thread Office Closures](https://offers.threadhcm.com/thread-closures) - [![Demo](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2515809/a2b12e0e-ed5a-400b-912c-d234fd8519d8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2515809/a2b12e0e-ed5a-400b-912c-d234fd8519d8) - *search* *Press enter to begin your search* [![Thread HCM](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Thread_February2020%20Theme/Images/thread-logo-green.png?width=250&height=250&name=thread-logo-green.png "Thread HCM")](https://threadhcm.com/) - Solutions - [Applicant Tracking](https://threadhcm.com/applicant-tracking/) - [Human Resources](https://threadhcm.com/human-resources/) - [Payroll](https://threadhcm.com/payroll/) - [Time](https://threadhcm.com/time/) - [Benefits Enrollment](https://threadhcm.com/benefits/) - [ACA Compliance](https://threadhcm.com/aca-compliance/) - [Learn + Learn Pro LMS](https://threadhcm.com/learning-management-system/) - [Consulting](https://threadhcm.com/hr-consulting/) - About - [Our Story](https://threadhcm.com/our-story/) - [Our Culture](https://threadhcm.com/our-culture/) - [Our Team](https://threadhcm.com/team/) - Resources - [Daily Thread Blog](https://blog.threadhcm.com/) - [Infographics](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/infographics) - [Press Releases](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/press-release) - [iSolved Releases](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/isolved-releases) - [Webinars – Live & On Demand](https://threadhcm.com/webinars/) - Contact - [Get In Touch](https://threadhcm.com/contact/) - [Careers at Thread](https://threadhcm.com/careers/) - [Broker or advisor?](https://threadhcm.com/partners/) - [Client Referrals](https://offers.threadhcm.com/refer-a-friend) - [Thread Office Closures](https://offers.threadhcm.com/thread-closures) - [Demo](https://threadhcm.com/demo/) - - - [Culture](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/culture) # Building a Summer Safety Net By [Barbara Collins](https://blog.threadhcm.com/author/threadhcm) July 3, 2025 ``` How Businesses Can Champion Working Parents...and Everyone Else ```   ## **Introduction: One Season, Many Stories** For kids, summer means freedom. For their parents, it often means complex logistics and budget gymnastics.  [HR Executive](https://hrexecutive.com/what-this-mom-of-3-says-hr-can-do-to-support-working-parents-this-summer/)reports that **over three-quarters of working parents link their summer productivity to their children’s schedules**. When coverage falls through, the ripple hits smaller teams hardest. ## **![Working From Home With Kids - Motherly](https://ens3xeax5jd.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/being-a-work-from-home-mom.jpg)** ### **1. Normalize Transparent Negotiation** Post-pandemic, employees expect flexibility, but it must serve the business too. Experts advise **explicit, two-way negotiation** about boundaries and outcomes. Train managers to: 1. List mission-critical “response windows.” 2. Offer choice: split shifts, earlier start, or four-day weeks. 3. Revisit agreements monthly: summer camps end, needs shift. ### **2. Prioritize Childcare (It Pays for Itself)** Childcare is the summer bottleneck. Encourage parents to register early and amplify whatever benefits you already fund: FSAs, camp credits, or concierge search service. **Pro tip:** negotiate discounted camp rates as part of your local business partnership program. ### **3. Design Perks That Scale Across Life Stages** Buford’s rule: “It’s not either/or; it’s and.” Pair parent-centric benefits with complementary perks, think elder-care webinars, fertility resources, or financial-wellness stipends, so no group feels sidelined. ### **4. Launch a “Seasons of Life” Resource Hub** Take inspiration from Spring Health’s personalized **Journeys** model. A light-weight webpage hub could curate: - Articles on managing care gaps - Recorded mini-trainings on schedule negotiation - Links to mental-health resources and local summer programs Invite employees to submit resource ideas quarterly. ### **5. Foster Peer Networks for Real-Time Support** Parenting slack channels or lunch-and-learn meetups let peers crowd-source solutions (favorite camps, car-pool swaps) and reinforce psychological safety without formal top-down programs. #### **🧵 Thread’s Take** Need help weaving these concepts into policy? [**Thread’s ProActive HR**](https://threadhcm.com/hr-consulting/managed-services/) team audits current perks, identifies quick wins, and crafts sustainable flexibility frameworks. **Let’s build your summer safety net.** Schedule a no-pressure chat today. #### **THE DAILY THREAD** The best tips on running a business delivered to your inbox.   ### Most Popular [![Creative Workplace Perks That Boost Engagement](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/party.webp?width=300&name=party.webp) Creative Workplace Perks That Boost Engagement May 5, 2025](https://blog.threadhcm.com/workplace-perks) [![A Heavyweight in Benefits](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Employee%20Engagement/Female%20doctor%20hand%20holding%20syringe%20with%20blue%20background%20and%20charts.jpeg?width=300&name=Female%20doctor%20hand%20holding%20syringe%20with%20blue%20background%20and%20charts.jpeg) A Heavyweight in Benefits March 20, 2025](https://blog.threadhcm.com/weight-loss-drugs) [![Mental health challenges in the workplace](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/landscape-mental-health.jpg?width=300&name=landscape-mental-health.jpg) Mental health challenges in the workplace November 29, 2024](https://blog.threadhcm.com/mental-health-in-the-workplace) ### Most Recent [![](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/offers.threadhcm.comtime-demo.jpg?width=100&height=100&name=offers.threadhcm.comtime-demo.jpg) Georgia Paid Time Off Laws (PTO) in 2026: A Guide June 22, 2026](https://blog.threadhcm.com/georgia-pto-laws) [![](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gas-price-pump-mileage.png?width=100&height=100&name=gas-price-pump-mileage.png) IRS Standard Mileage Rates: Calculating Mileage Rates May 12, 2026](https://blog.threadhcm.com/irs-standard-mileage-rate) [![](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Downtown%20Atlanta%2c%20Georgia%2c%20USA%20skyline..jpeg?width=100&height=100&name=Downtown%20Atlanta,%20Georgia,%20USA%20skyline..jpeg) An Overview: Minimum Wage in Georgia April 15, 2026](https://blog.threadhcm.com/georgia-minimum-wage) [![](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/paycheck-checkup-1024x416.webp?width=100&height=100&name=paycheck-checkup-1024x416.webp) A Guide to Understanding Gross Pay vs Net Pay March 23, 2026](https://blog.threadhcm.com/gross-pay-vs-net-pay) [![](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Savannah%2c%20Georgia%2c%20USA%20oak%20tree%20lined%20road%20at%20historic%20Wormsloe%20Plantation..jpeg?width=100&height=100&name=Savannah,%20Georgia,%20USA%20oak%20tree%20lined%20road%20at%20historic%20Wormsloe%20Plantation..jpeg) Understanding Georgia’s Noncompete Laws January 19, 2026](https://blog.threadhcm.com/noncompete-laws-georgia) - ### Previous Post Thread Launches New Division! - ### Next Post Full Moon Theory ### Recommended For You [![Georgia Paid Time Off Laws (PTO) in 2026: A Guide](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hubfs/offers.threadhcm.comtime-demo.jpg)](https://blog.threadhcm.com/georgia-pto-laws) ### Georgia Paid Time Off Laws (PTO) in 2026: A Guide ![Barbara Collins](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hubfs/headshot_circle.gif) [Barbara Collins](https://blog.threadhcm.com/author/barbara-collins) June 22, 2026 [![IRS Standard Mileage Rates: Calculating Mileage Rates](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hubfs/gas-price-pump-mileage.png)](https://blog.threadhcm.com/irs-standard-mileage-rate) ### IRS Standard Mileage Rates: Calculating Mileage Rates ![Barbara Collins](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hubfs/headshot_circle.gif) [Barbara Collins](https://blog.threadhcm.com/author/barbara-collins) May 12, 2026 [![An Overview: Minimum Wage in Georgia](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hubfs/Downtown%20Atlanta%2c%20Georgia%2c%20USA%20skyline..jpeg)](https://blog.threadhcm.com/georgia-minimum-wage) ### An Overview: Minimum Wage in Georgia ![Barbara Collins](https://blog.threadhcm.com/hubfs/headshot_circle.gif) [Barbara Collins](https://blog.threadhcm.com/author/barbara-collins) April 15, 2026 #### Get In Touch 12640 Crabapple Rd., Suite 340 Milton, GA 30004 - [678-366-3447](tel:+1-678-366-3447) - [info@threadhcm.com](mailto:info@threadhcm.com) - - - - [Applicant Tracking](https://threadhcm.com/applicant-tracking/) - [Benefits Enrollment](https://threadhcm.com/benefits/) - [Employee Experience](https://threadhcm.com/employee-experience/) - [Human Resources](https://threadhcm.com/human-resources/) - [Learning Management](https://threadhcm.com/learning-management-system/) - [Payroll](https://threadhcm.com/payroll/) - [Predictive People Analytics](https://threadhcm.com/predictive-people-analytics/) - [Time](https://threadhcm.com/time/) #### Want to Partner? Want to see exactly how iSolved can work for your company? - [REQUEST A DEMO](https://threadhcm.com/demo/) - [HR Consulting Services](https://threadhcm.com/hr-consulting/) - [Brokers & Advisors](https://threadhcm.com/partners/) - More Helpful Links - [isolved Releases](https://blog.threadhcm.com/tag/isolved-releases) - [Contact](https://threadhcm.com/contact/) - [Careers at Thread](https://threadhcm.com/careers/) - [Company Culture](https://threadhcm.com/culture/) - [Our Team](https://threadhcm.com/team/) - [The Daily Thread Blog](https://blog.threadhcm.com/) © 2025 Thread HCM. All Rights Reserved. - - -