Every summer, schools close for several weeks while most parents’ working lives continue. For many families, this creates a gap between the school year and the working year—one that has to be covered through camps, annual leave, help from relatives, flexible working and other arrangements.
To better understand that experience, Astropark conducted an anonymous online survey during June and July 2026. We analysed 53 responses from parents of school-age children, 81% of whom were based in Dublin.
The findings provide an indicative snapshot rather than a nationally representative study. However, they highlight a consistent pattern: parents are finding ways to manage the summer, but often through a combination of financial, professional and personal compromises.
Key findings from the survey
- 85% of parents surveyed found arranging summer childcare somewhat or very stressful.
- Two-thirds needed at least five weeks of childcare or supervision during the summer school holidays.
- Parents relied on a patchwork of summer camps, annual leave, family support and flexible working rather than one complete childcare solution.
- 66% had used annual leave, while nearly half had worked while minding their children.
- Keeping children active and entertained was the most commonly selected challenge (32.1%), followed by childcare hours not matching the working day (26.4%) and cost (22.6%). While affordability remains an important concern, it was not the challenge parents selected most often.
- Most respondents spent €100–€199 per child each week, and nearly three-quarters experienced moderate to severe financial pressure.
- Respondents without family in Ireland tended to report greater stress and a need for more weeks of summer cover.
See all survey findings here.
85% found arranging summer childcare stressful
The clearest result was that 84.9% of the parents surveyed found arranging summer childcare somewhat or very stressful.
When asked to select their single biggest challenge, parents were most likely to choose:
- Keeping children active and entertained: 32.1%
- Childcare hours not matching working hours: 26.4%
- Cost: 22.6%
Cost was clearly important, but it was not the most commonly selected challenge. The results suggest that the summer childcare gap is also about finding suitable activities and arranging care around a normal working day.
One parent described the mismatch:
“The biggest challenge is finding camps that recognise that parents need to be in work typically between 9 to 5. When a camp runs from 10 to 2, who do they expect to bring the child in or collect them? What are parents expected to do for those remaining hours?”
Two-thirds needed at least five weeks of cover
Two-thirds of respondents said they needed at least five weeks of childcare or supervision during the summer. Of those surveyed, 13% needed between eight and ten weeks.
According to the Workplace Relations Commission’s annual-leave guidance, most employees in Ireland are entitled to four working weeks of paid annual leave each year.
That leave must cover the entire year, not only the summer school holidays. This leaves many working families needing to combine annual leave with childcare, camps, family support or flexible working to cover the remaining weeks.
The difficulty is therefore not necessarily finding one complete childcare solution. It is assembling enough different arrangements to cover the full summer.
66% had used annual leave because of summer childcare
When asked whether childcare during the summer school holidays had ever affected their work:
- 66% had used annual leave.
- 47% had worked while minding their children.
- 43% had taken unpaid leave.
- 28% had reduced their working hours.
- 26% had turned down work opportunities.
The question asked whether childcare had ever caused these outcomes, so the figures do not refer only to summer 2026. Nevertheless, they show how significantly summer childcare can affect parents’ working lives.
Among the 35 two-working-parent households included in the sample, 86% had used annual leave because of summer childcare.
Flexible working formed part of the solution for many families. Approximately 38% used flexible or remote working to help manage the summer. However, 28% both used flexible or remote working and reported working while minding their children.
This suggests that working from home can provide valuable flexibility, but it does not always remove the childcare gap. In some households, parents are trying to work and supervise children simultaneously.
Remote and hybrid working are now established parts of working life in Ireland. The CSO Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2026 reported that 990,100 people worked from home at least some of the time.
Camp hours do not always match the working day
Several written responses focused on the difference between the hours offered by camps or childcare and the hours parents needed to cover.
One parent wrote:
“It’s a scramble to try and fill up the summer with camps, and most don’t even operate beyond lunchtime, meaning further childcare is required.”
Another said:
“It’s hard to get to work on time as hours conflict with summer camp starting and finishing times, and no afterschool is available.”
The survey did not audit camp opening hours across Ireland, so it cannot show how common shorter schedules are. However, the comments demonstrate that opening hours and collection times are a significant practical issue for some parents.
Earlier drop-off, later collection or full-working-day options could make summer programmes more useful to working families.
Most families spent €100–€199 per child each week
Most respondents (71.7%) said they spent between €100 and €199 per child each week on childcare, camps and organised activities during the summer. A further 9% spent between €200 and €299, while 4% spent €300 or more.
Spending alone does not show whether an amount is affordable for an individual household. The survey therefore also asked about financial pressure:
- 73.6% experienced moderate to severe financial pressure.
- 45.3% found summer childcare and activities somewhat or very unaffordable.
- No respondent described them as very affordable.
Parents without nearby family support face greater pressure
Family support plays a major role in how parents manage childcare.
According to CSO Census 2022 childcare data, an unpaid relative or family member was the second most common childcare arrangement among children in childcare in Ireland, accounting for 28%.
Among primary-school children using childcare, approximately one-third were cared for by an unpaid relative or family member.
In the Astropark survey:
- 30.2% said they had no family living in Ireland.
- 73.6% did not have close family living nearby who could help regularly.
The subgroup without family in Ireland was small (16 respondents), so its findings should be treated cautiously. Nevertheless, those parents were more likely than the rest of the sample to need at least five weeks of cover and to describe arranging summer childcare as very stressful.
Having no family nearby is not exclusively a migrant experience. Irish parents may also live far from relatives because of work, housing or other circumstances.
The broader issue is what happens when a household does not have an extended support network available.
What parents said would make summer easier
Parents’ written responses pointed towards several practical improvements:
- Childcare and activities covering more of the working day
- Earlier drop-off and later collection
- More affordable local options
- Activities that keep children active and engaged
- Greater workplace flexibility during the school holidays
- Better access to financial support where formal childcare is required
The findings suggest that parents do not need one universal solution. Different families use different combinations of camps, family help, annual leave and flexible working.
What they share is the need to bridge a school closure that is longer than most parents’ available annual leave and often poorly aligned with the working day.
About the survey
Astropark collected the responses anonymously through an online survey during summer 2026.
After excluding one ineligible response and three apparent repeat submissions, 53 responses from parents of school-age children were included in the analysis. Most respondents (81%) were based in Dublin.
Because respondents chose to participate and the sample was relatively small and geographically concentrated, the findings provide an indicative snapshot. They should not be interpreted as nationally representative estimates.
Percentages have been rounded. Questions about childcare arrangements and work effects allowed respondents to select more than one answer. Findings concerning smaller subgroups should be treated as directional only.
You can explore all survey findings here.
About Astropark
Astropark operates children’s camps and family activities at its Dublin venues. Conducting this research helped us understand the wider childcare and scheduling challenges parents face, not only when choosing a camp, but when trying to manage the full summer school-holiday period.
You can find details of upcoming dates, activities and availability on the Astropark Summer Camps page.
