Daycare Holidays and Closures Guide 2026: Planning for Time Off

When does your daycare close? If you're a working parent, this question has huge implications for your schedule, your job, and your sanity. Understanding daycare closure policies before you enroll helps you plan ahead and avoid last-minute scrambles.

This guide covers everything about daycare holidays and closures in 2026: typical closure schedules, what to expect throughout the year, how to handle backup care, and managing tuition during closures.

Table of Contents

• Typical Daycare Closure Schedule
• Types of Closures
• Tuition During Closures
• Planning for Closures
• Backup Care Options
• Comparing Daycare Calendars
• Questions to Ask

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Typical Daycare Closure Schedule

What to expect throughout the year.

Major Holidays (Most Daycares Closed)

Holidays almost all daycares close:

| Holiday | 2026 Date | Notes | |---------|-----------|-------| | New Year's Day | January 1 | Thursday | | Memorial Day | May 25 | Monday | | Independence Day | July 4 | Saturday (observed July 3) | | Labor Day | September 7 | Monday | | Thanksgiving | November 26 | Thursday | | Christmas Day | December 25 | Friday |

Extended Closures (Varies by Daycare)

Some daycares also close:

| Period | Typical Closure | |--------|----------------| | Day after Thanksgiving | Friday, November 27 | | Christmas Eve | December 24 | | Days between Christmas and New Year | Varies widely | | New Year's Eve | December 31 | | Week between Christmas and New Year | Full week at some centers |

Additional Closure Days (Some Daycares)

Other days some daycares close:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19)
• Presidents' Day (February 16)
• Good Friday (April 3)
• Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day (October 12)
• Veterans Day (November 11)
• Staff professional development days
• Deep cleaning days

Summer Considerations

Summer policies vary:

• Some: normal schedule year-round
• Some: reduced hours in summer
• Some: closure for 1-2 weeks (staff vacation)
• Some: different summer program
• Some: reduced capacity

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Types of Closures

Different closure categories.

Scheduled Closures

Holiday closures:

• Published in advance
• Part of annual calendar
• Non-negotiable
• Plan ahead

Professional development days:

• Staff training
• Usually 2-4 per year
• Scheduled in advance
• May be full or half days

Annual deep cleaning:

• Some centers close 1-2 days
• Often around holidays
• Building maintenance
• Should be scheduled in advance

Unscheduled Closures

Weather emergencies:

• Snow/ice storms
• Severe weather
• Power outages
• Flooding

Health emergencies:

• Disease outbreaks
• Required facility closure
• Staff illness (insufficient coverage)

Facility issues:

• Plumbing problems
• HVAC failure
• Safety concerns
• Inspection failures

Early Closures

Some daycares close early on:

• Day before Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• New Year's Eve
• Other holiday eves

Check:

• What time do they close?
• Is there additional cost to stay late?
• How much notice given?

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Tuition During Closures

Understanding payment policies.

Common Policies

Most daycares:

• Charge full tuition during scheduled closures
• Consider holiday pay part of tuition
• Don't credit for individual days
• May offer slight discount for extended closures

Why You Still Pay

Daycare reasoning:

• Staff still paid on holidays
• Fixed costs continue
• Spot held for your child
• Business model requires consistency
• Alternative: higher regular rates

When You Might Get Credit

Some daycares credit for:

• Unscheduled closures beyond 1-2 days
• Extended weather closures
• Their emergency situations
• Facility problems they cause

Tuition Structures

| Policy Type | Holiday Treatment | |-------------|-------------------| | Weekly rate | Full week paid regardless of closures | | Daily rate | Only pay for days attended | | Monthly rate | Fixed monthly, includes closures | | Hourly rate | Only pay for hours used |

Most common:

• Weekly or monthly rates
• Full payment regardless of closures
• Annual calendar provided in advance

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Planning for Closures

Preparing for daycare downtime.

Get the Calendar Early

At enrollment, ask for:

• Complete annual closure calendar
• Holiday schedule
• Professional development days
• Any planned extended closures
• How snow days are handled

Update annually:

• Request next year's calendar in advance
• Usually available by November/December
• Plan your year accordingly

Coordinate with Work

Strategies:

• Request time off early for known closures
• Save vacation days for daycare closures
• Discuss flexibility with employer
• Coordinate with partner on coverage

Time off calculation:

• Count closure days
• Add likely sick days
• Include doctor appointments
• Plan vacation days accordingly
• May exceed your PTO allocation

Create Annual Coverage Plan

Map out the year:

1. List all known daycare closures
2. Mark your work holidays (overlap = no coverage needed)
3. Identify gaps (daycare closed, you work)
4. Assign coverage for each gap
5. Have backup for the backup

Sample 2026 Planning

| Closure | Coverage Plan | |---------|---------------| | Jan 1 (New Year's) | Parent A off work | | Jan 19 (MLK - if closed) | Grandparents visit | | May 25 (Memorial Day) | Family off | | Week of July 4 | Family vacation | | Sept 7 (Labor Day) | Parent B off work | | Nov 26-27 (Thanksgiving) | Family gathering | | Dec 24-31 | Split between parents + grandparents |

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Backup Care Options

When daycare is closed and you need coverage.

Family and Friends

Pros:

• Often free or low-cost
• Child knows them
• Flexible
• Trustworthy

Cons:

• May not always be available
• Relies on relationships
• Can strain relationships if overused
• May not be local

Best practices:

• Ask well in advance
• Don't assume availability
• Show appreciation
• Have backup to your backup

Professional Backup Care

Options:

• Drop-in daycare centers
• Backup care agencies
• Nanny sharing networks
• Care.com or similar platforms
• Employer backup care benefits

Costs:

• Drop-in daycare: $75-150/day
• Backup nanny: $150-250/day
• Agency rates vary
• Some employers subsidize

Employer Benefits

Check if your employer offers:

• Backup care programs
• Emergency childcare subsidies
• Flexible work options
• Family care leave
• Work-from-home allowances

Common employer programs:

• Bright Horizons backup care
• Care@Work programs
• On-site care during closures
• Childcare subsidies

Work-from-Home

When possible:

• Discuss with employer in advance
• Set realistic expectations
• Have activities for child
• Work during naps/screen time
• Acknowledge lower productivity

Reality check:

• Working with young child is very hard
• Don't overpromise productivity
• Have backup plan if urgent work arises
• May work for short periods only

Nanny or Babysitter

Building your list:

• Get referrals from other parents
• Meet sitters in advance
• Have 3-5 reliable contacts
• Check availability before holidays
• Build relationships over time

Where to find:

• Other daycare families
• Local parent groups
• Care.com, Sittercity
• College childcare programs
• Neighborhood teens (older kids only)

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Comparing Daycare Calendars

Closures vary widely by provider.

Daycare Center Closures

Typical: 10-15 days per year

Usually closed:

• Major federal holidays
• Day after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve through New Year's
• 1-2 professional development days

May be closed:

• Religious holidays
• Staff vacation week
• Deep cleaning periods

Home Daycare Closures

May have more or fewer closures:

• Provider vacation (1-2 weeks)
• Provider sick days
• Family emergencies
• Often more flexible
• May close for different holidays

Ask about:

• Vacation schedule
• Sick day policy
• Backup provider (if any)
• How much notice given

Employer/Corporate Centers

Often more generous:

• May follow corporate holiday schedule
• Sometimes fewer closures
• May offer backup care
• More structured policies

Religious/Church-Based Programs

May close for:

• Religious holidays (not just federal)
• Church events
• Additional days others stay open

Consider:

• Does calendar align with your schedule?
• More or fewer closures than secular?
• Summer programs offered?

School-Based Programs

Follow school calendar:

• All school holidays
• Teacher work days
• Spring break
• Winter break (often 2 weeks)
• Summer (may close entirely)

Significantly more closures:

• 40-50+ days per year not uncommon
• May need summer alternative
• Great if you're a teacher
• Challenging for many working parents

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Questions to Ask

Before enrollment and ongoing.

At Enrollment

About scheduled closures:

1. "Can I have a copy of your annual closure calendar?"
2. "How many days are you closed per year?"
3. "Do you close the week between Christmas and New Year's?"
4. "Are there professional development days?"
5. "What summer schedule do you follow?"

About policies: 6. "Do I still pay tuition on closure days?" 7. "How is weather closure tuition handled?" 8. "How much notice do you give for closures?" 9. "Do you ever close early on holiday eves?"

About emergencies: 10. "How do you communicate emergency closures?" 11. "What's your snow/weather policy?" 12. "Do you have makeup days?"

Annually

Get updates on:

• Next year's calendar
• Any policy changes
• Summer schedule
• Anticipated closures

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Managing the Stress

Holiday coverage challenges.

Accept the Reality

Truths to embrace:

• You can't work every day daycare is closed
• Backup care isn't always available
• Flexibility is essential
• Planning helps but doesn't solve everything
• Other working parents understand

Build Redundancy

The backup plan pyramid:

1. Partner (if available)
2. Family (grandparents, relatives)
3. Paid backup care (nanny, drop-in)
4. Work from home
5. Take the day off

Have multiple options at each level.

Community Building

Connect with:

• Other daycare parents (shared care)
• Neighborhood families
• Parent groups
• Coworkers with kids

Benefits:

• Shared coverage arrangements
• Moral support
• Recommendations for backup care
• Understanding community

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Closure Preparation Checklist

At Enrollment

• [ ] Get annual closure calendar
• [ ] Count total closure days
• [ ] Identify gaps with your work schedule
• [ ] Understand tuition policy during closures
• [ ] Ask about weather closure policy
• [ ] Get emergency notification process

Annually

• [ ] Request next year's calendar early
• [ ] Plan coverage for each closure
• [ ] Coordinate with partner
• [ ] Request family help for key dates
• [ ] Save vacation days for gaps
• [ ] Build backup care contacts

Before Each Closure

• [ ] Confirm coverage plan
• [ ] Have backup if primary falls through
• [ ] Stock supplies if caring for child
• [ ] Plan activities for child
• [ ] Communicate with work if needed
• [ ] Set expectations (work reduced if WFH)

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Resources

• Find Quality Daycare Near You
• Daycare Contract Checklist
• Questions to Ask Daycare Providers
• Returning to Work Childcare Guide

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Last updated: December 2025