There are 24-hour gyms, 24-hour diners and everything in between. Now some daycare centers are joining the mix.

The New York Times reports on the trend:

Day care is slowly becoming night care in today’s economy, as parents work ever longer days, take on second jobs and accept odd shifts to make ends meet. ...

About 40 percent of the American labor force now works some form of nonstandard hours, including evenings, nights, weekends and early mornings, according to Harriet B. Presser, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland. That share is expected to grow with the projected expansion of jobs in industries like nursing, retail and food service, which tend to require after-hours work.

When I was looking for daycare for Jake, one of the first things I wanted to know was the center's hours. Most centers in this region close between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. My job can be pretty crazy sometimes with long hours, so it was an important factor for me.

Imagine the stress of finding childcare when you have to work odd or overnight hours. The article features one daycare center in Ohio where the providers help children with homework, feed them dinner and get them ready for bed.

Of course, there are downsides. For one thing, the parents interviewed for the story said they rather have their children be watched in their own homes, but child care center "offered the best compromise."

Do you think there is a need for 24-hour centers, or at least those that have evening hours?