We Ran a Pop-Up Childcare Program at a Conference. Here's What Happened.
Ninety percent of event attendees have skipped a conference or event because of a lack of childcare. Not because they didn't want to go. Not because the content wasn't relevant. Because no one solved the logistics of what happens to their kids for the day.
If you're an event organizer, that's not just a social problem — it's a participation problem. And it's more solvable than you think.
The Problem in Numbers
Research published in PNAS identifies what scholars call the "childcare–conference conundrum": primary caregivers — disproportionately women — routinely forgo professional events because accommodations for families simply don't exist. A study of oncologists found that women attended a median of two conferences per year compared to three for men, and nearly half of women said children significantly influenced their decision to attend. Forbes data reports that 45% of working parents cite a lack of childcare as the reason they miss work events.
The pipeline of talent showing up at your event is leaking — and childcare is one of the biggest holes.
What We Did at Foundry Festival
This past February, Hopscotch Labs partnered with The Foundry Consortium to offer programming as part of the 2026 Foundry Festival in Cambridge, MA — a week-long, free arts and STEM event for the community. On Saturday morning, we ran two Montessori-inspired playgroups. Parents were encouraged to participate alongside their children, or families could split up — one parent enjoying the festival while the other joined the playgroup.
Here's what happened: 25 families showed up over the course of two hours. Our playgroups became the main attraction of the morning. Families didn't just use the childcare — they came for the childcare.
Why This Was Easier Than You Think
Event organizers often assume that offering childcare means navigating a maze of licensing requirements, insurance liability, and staffing headaches. That assumption is the single biggest barrier — not the actual logistics.
At Foundry Festival, we brought our existing expertise in proximity-based early education and adapted it to a two-hour pop-up format. No permanent buildout. No months-long licensing process. Just intentional programming, qualified facilitators, and a dedicated space within the venue.
The cost? A fraction of what organizers spend on AV, catering, or branded merchandise.
The Takeaway for Event Organizers
You don't need to overhaul your entire event to make it family-accessible. You need a partner who already knows how to do this.
When conferences like KDD — a major data science event — introduced childcare for the first time, female attendance jumped five percentage points in a single year. That's not a coincidence. Remove the barrier, and people show up.
If you're planning a conference, festival, or industry event and want to explore what pop-up childcare programming could look like, contact Hopscotch Labs. We'll handle the logistics — so your attendees can actually attend.
