School’s out! Summer break is an exciting time for kids-long days with warm weather and zero homework. But for working parents of school-age children, the summer season can bring added stress and complex questions: What are we going to do for child care for ten extra weeks? How can we ensure we spend quality time with our kids while still working full time? How will we afford the additional child care, travel, summer camps, and activities?
From navigating shifting schedules to managing the emotional and financial toll of the season, parents have a lot on their plate during the summer months. And understandably, these stressors can affect their work, contributing to burnout, absenteeism, and decreased productivity. With all of this in mind, organizations have a critical opportunity. By providing flexible policies, proactive mental health support, and thoughtful resources, companies can help their employees approach summer not as an obstacle, but as a season they feel genuinely prepared for.
In this article, we look at 6 efforts HR teams can undertake to support working parents during the summer months as well as the specific benefits Journey’s Proactive EAP provides.
6 Ways HR Can Support Working Parents This Summer
1. Offer greater schedule flexibility.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in over 66% of U.S. households with children under 18, all parents and/or guardians work. That means most employees are facing some version of the “summer juggle.” Flexible start times, hybrid or remote work options, and meeting schedule adjustments can make a big difference. Letting employees make adjustments to attend a child’s summer play or shift hours to accommodate camp pickup, for instance, may seem small, but these allowances reinforce trust and respect in the organizational culture and reduce unnecessary stress for parent employees.
2. Encourage employees to use PTO.
Too often, employees feel guilty about taking time off-even when they desperately need it. HR and leadership can help shift that mindset by proactively encouraging PTO usage during these months and modeling it themselves. Especially in summer, when many employees are managing increased family needs, rest and recovery shouldn’t be optional. Use internal communications, 1:1 check-ins, and team meetings to make the message clear: We want you to get quality time with your families and take the time you need for your own wellbeing.
3. Consider adding company-wide time off to the summer calendar.
Implementing “Summer Fridays” or setting up company-wide “reset” days during the summer, whether on either side of holidays or as standalone wellness days, can help reduce the pressure on parents to stay fully connected and prevent work from piling up during absences.
Some organizations take this even further by offering a full week off in the summer, similar to the breaks many businesses observe at the end of the year for the winter holidays. A designated summer closure helps employees truly unplug, spend time with loved ones, and return recharged-without falling behind. This approach not only supports mental health, but can also improve retention and morale.
4. Create and promote parent peer support groups or ERGs.
Everyone benefits from a sense of community-parents included. HR can encourage employees to establish and/or take part in peer support groups for parents to find camaraderie and share helpful tips during this potentially overwhelming time of year. Peer support groups can normalize conversations around stress, and help employees know (a) they’re not alone, and (b) who they can talk to at work about their experiences as parents.
5. Offer and promote tax-free Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.
Dependent Care FSAs allow employees to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible child care expenses-including summer day camps, babysitters, and daycare. These accounts can offer significant financial relief for working parents if they’re made aware of them. HR can support parents by communicating enrollment deadlines, providing FAQs, and walking employees through how to take full advantage of the benefit.
6. Communicate about your EAP’s benefits for parents and families.
Many employees don’t realize the full extent of what their Employee Assistance Program offers for family support. To increase awareness, HR should actively promote EAP resources ahead of summer, with targeted outreach highlighting parenting content, counseling options, family support services, financial planning, and guidance around seasonal stress. The more visible and relevant you make these offerings, the more likely employees are to use them.
How Journey can help
While all organizations of size should promote their EAP benefits so employees can utilize them when needed, not all EAPs are created equal. With Journey’s Proactive EAP, we have made it our priority to provide top-notch benefits resources for employees, and their loved ones, in all circumstances. There are plenty of resources specific to working parents and plenty more that can benefit them and their care communities during the summer.
Journey Proactive EAP’s child care assistance
Among the many benefits incorporated in the Journey Proactive EAP are resources devoted to helping parents navigate choices in child care, including how to evaluate providers, what to ask when hiring nannies or au pairs, how to prepare children for new caregivers, and how to create back-up plans for instances when care falls through. Parents can also find curated lists of summer opportunities for kids and guidance on assessing children’s readiness for each option.
The Journey Proactive EAP digital platform also includes numerous videos, mini meditations, and short courses designed to help parents navigate the unique stresses of working while raising children. Our “Child Care and Work-Life Balance” video series covers staying organized when working from home, leaving work at work, and dealing with feelings of overwhelm. We also have a four-part series dedicated to “Mental Wellness for Parents,” with additional videos on finding energy when depleted, cultivating connection with your children, and how to handle moments of anger and develop appreciation for the ups and downs. All of these can be particularly useful during the summer months when parents’ attention and finances are even hotter commodities than during the school year.
Mental health care for friends and family
All EAPs provide benefits for the employee, but the best ones also provide benefits to the people employees love and care about-not just spouses and dependents but also parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, close friends, neighbors, roommates-you name it. This support can be especially valuable in summer because children don’t have the support options that available to them at school.
For example, if an employee’s teenager who relies on the routine and social setting of school to manage their mental health begins to struggle mid-summer, that stress can ripple through the household. Or if an employee’s next-door neighbor typically looks after their kids during the summer, but that neighbor is struggling with a mental health concern, the wellbeing of everyone involved-the neighbor, the employee, and their kids-may suffer. In either of these scenarios, being able to give employees’ loved ones access to mental health resources helps bring them more relief and, in turn, prevent greater mental health or other issues from developing that could cause them further stress or harm.
Through the Journey Proactive EAP, we offer mental health coverage for children, teens, and families, including counseling with providers who specialize in child psychology and family counseling. Children of any age can be seen as part of family counseling, and children ages 12 to 17 can receive individual counseling with the consent of a parent or guardian. Employees can also give full access to their mental health benefits-including countless videos, courses, and -to unlimited loved ones for free. When organizations support employees’ families holistically in this way, the organization and every family within and around it benefits.
Empowering parents is a business advantage
Supporting parents over the summer is both compassionate and smart for business. When employees feel seen, supported, rested, and equipped with the resources they need to manage their family responsibilities, they’re more focused, creative, loyal, and resilient at work. HR teams and leaders who proactively offer mental health resources, financial relief, flexible scheduling, and peer support aren’t just lightening a seasonal load-they’re fostering a culture that attracts and retains top talent. By meeting parents where they are and helping them thrive through every season, organizations build stronger teams and healthier communities.
