Planning for Absences: How to Stay Ready for the Unexpected

Absences are inevitable — especially in child care, where illness, family emergencies, and personal responsibilities can arise with little notice.

The difference between centers that thrive and those that struggle isn’t how often absences happen — it's how ready they are when they do.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to lead with empathy, plan for the unexpected, streamline communication, and protect both your ratios and your team’s morale.

Why Planning for Absences Matters

Without a plan, absences:

• Force administrators into classrooms, pulling them away from leadership tasks
• Overload remaining teachers, leading to burnout
• Frustrate families when consistency breaks down
• Weaken team morale over time

But with a clear system — and the right mindset — you can absorb disruptions without losing momentum or sacrificing staff trust.

(Learn how absence planning fits into larger staffing systems in How to Build a Weekly Schedule That Keeps Your Center Fully Staffed.)

Build Trust Before You Need Coverage

The foundation of any successful absence plan starts long before someone calls off.
It begins with building trust and empathy between leadership and staff.

When teachers trust that:

• They can call off when truly needed
• They won’t be punished for emergencies
• Leadership will handle absences respectfully

...they are more likely to:

• Communicate openly (not ghost or no-show)
• Use call-offs responsibly
• Stay committed for the long term

From the beginning, work to understand the real-life barriers that might prevent staff from getting to work, like:

• Lack of backup child care
• Transportation issues
• School pick-up/drop-off responsibilities

By understanding these pressures, you can proactively problem-solve with staff — and strengthen loyalty before issues arise.

(For more on motivating today’s workforce through trust and flexibility, see What Motivates Today’s Child Care Workforce.)

Build a Float and Substitute Pool — Before You Need It

Absences are inevitable. Scrambling shouldn’t be.

A strong absence strategy starts with building two pools:

• Floaters: Staff already part of your center who flex across classrooms day-to-day
• Substitutes: External backup ready to step in when needed

Substitutes are becoming a more widely accepted model in early childhood education — but qualified substitutes are still hard to find because of the credentialing required.

That’s why platforms like Tandem are game-changers:

• We do the pre-work of vetting substitutes for compliance and classroom readiness
• Workers are available on demand through our app
• Centers can set Tandem up as a “just-in-case” tool — ready to activate only when needs surface

Many centers onboard Tandem simply to have a backup option in their back pocket — giving leadership peace of mind without immediate cost unless used.

Having substitutes ready before you need them protects your full-time team from overwork — and helps you maintain stability even when unexpected absences stack up.

(See How Tandem Matches Substitutes to Your Center’s Needs for more on how the process works.)

Streamline How Staff Communicate Absences

Managing absences well isn't just about coverage — it’s about how communication flows.

You should not be hearing about absences via personal texts at 5:00 AM.
Clear, centralized communication:

• Helps you react faster
• Reduces stress on leadership
• Protects boundaries between work and personal life

Tips for better absence communication:

• Create a written policy for how and when staff should report absences
• Set reasonable call-off windows (e.g., at least 2 hours before shift start)
• Use platforms or systems that streamline notifications (examples: Procare, Brightwheel, or even Tandem for substitute shifts)

Staff should have one clear, easy method to report an absence — and leadership should be able to immediately move to Plan B without scrambling.

Navigating Absences is a Retention Tool

It’s easy to think of absence management as just a logistics problem.
But done well, it’s actually a powerful retention strategy.

When you:

• Respond to absences calmly
• Protect the team from being overloaded
• Maintain classroom stability

…you show your teachers that their well-being matters — not just the ratio. This builds a culture of trust, support, and shared accountability, all of which reduce long-term turnover.

🧸 Crib Notes

Like Cliff Notes, but for child care:

• Absence planning starts with trust — build relationships before coverage is needed.
• Maintain a float pool and pre-vetted substitute options like Tandem.
• Streamline communication so call-offs are timely and manageable.
• Protect remaining staff from burnout during absences to boost retention.
• Navigating absences well shows your team you value their well-being — and keeps them loyal.

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