Subject: Childcare starting at IETF 108 Madrid

From: IETF Executive Director <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2020 15:10:16 -0800

For IETF 108 Madrid we will be introducing childcare for the first time at an IETF meeting to see how it goes. It is our hope that this provides important value, in which case we will aim to provide childcare for future meetings. The initial capacity will be up to 10 children and we will set aside a room for this purpose, which will be decorated and furnished appropriately for children. 

The childcare will be provided by Holiday Sitters [1], the same firm that RIPE NCC uses for their meetings most recently at RIPE 79 Rotterdam. The feedback from RIPE attendees is entirely positive as it has enabled people to attend who would not otherwise have been able to do so and those participants who were initially concerned about disruption dropped those concerns after seeing how it worked in practice. It took a few meetings for the awareness to take hold with 3 children the first time it was offered, then 5 at the next meeting and then they were fully booked for the last two meetings. Following their advice we will need to put in place some basic rules about where the children can be in order to minimise disruption and print some cute t-shirts for the children, but otherwise we foresee no unintended consequences.

If you are interested in finding out more or want to express an early interest then please let us know by email directly to Alexa Morris at [email-masked]. 

This childcare will be free of charge and we are aiming to secure a sponsor to cover the cost. If you are interested in sponsoring or have any questions about sponsorship then please get in touch at [email-masked].

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or comments.

[1] https://holiday-sitters.com

-- 
Jay Daley
IETF Executive Director
[email-masked]