Society changing to 24/7 lifestyle

(WTNH) -- To deal with the needs of our ever-changing society, a lot more businesses than ever are offering 24/7 services.

Nine o'clock on a Saturday night is still pick up time for Susan Pekar. While Susan works odd hours, one-year-old Jaden stays at Lisa's Little Angels Daycare in Naugatuck. It's one of an increasing number of child care facilities in the state offering 24/7 care.

Susan remembers vividly what it was like before she found Lisa.

"It's very difficult having to pick up at 4:30 when I work until 9 o'clock at night, always to rely on people, someone to pick him up, where's he going to be -- It's very difficult," Pekar said. "So I was amazed to find a daycare that's 24 hours."

Pekar is part of a growing wave of parents who rely on daycares that provide care to children at all hours day or night.

Lisa Hinman opened her daycare six years ago believing that many parents were in a situation similar to hers, with spouses working odd hours and virtually no child care options.

"I decided that I was gonna help the ones that don't have a lot of help out there," Hinman said.

And she's not alone. According to the United Way there are nearly 300 daycares offering 24/7 service in New Haven county alone.

"Most of mine are single parents and those are the ones trying to make better lives for their families and if they don't have dual incomes, you've gotta make the money where you can sometimes. It's a second job, not a first," Hinman said.

The child care industry is not alone. Businesses from pharmacies to convenience stores and gyms now offer around the clock services.

"I think you're gonna get a much larger explosion of 24/7 activities," said Quinnipiac University Professor David Cadden. He says it's a trend that began about 15 years ago fueled by changes in society.

"I think you're gonna get a much larger explosion of 24/7 activities," said Quinnipiac University Professor David Cadden. He says it's a trend that began about 15 years ago fueled by changes in society.

He says the traditional American family -- father as bread-winner with mom at home raising the kids -- now only represents less than 6 percent of households in 2012.

What's grown out of that this changing society is not just an option but a need for people to have traditional services available to them at non-traditional times. The days of a clock determining what we can do is slowly coming to an end.

At Snap Fitness in Portland more than a dozen people work-out during overnight hours on a regular basis.

"They just swipe (their card), door unlocks, they go in and the doors locks right behind them," explained Snap Fitness' Megan Perry.

Perfect for third shifters who are wide awake and ready to go while most of us are in dreamland.

"They aren't squished into working out at certain times, so 24/7 with the flexibility of 'Oh I have to go shopping now but I can work out at one a.m. if I want to,' they don't need to worry about working out as much," Perry said.

Security here is critical. There are emergency buttons and phones throughout in addition to cameras that monitor movement inside and out. Gym goers can even wear a security device around their necks while they're working out.

"If you push that button it's going to go right to our panic system and they're going to call emergency services," said Perry.

As society changes and companies look to maximize profits every minute of every day you'll see more 'open for business' signs around the clock.

"If you take a look at a major supermarket, they have to keep the lights on. They have to keep the refrigeration going. In some cases even if they're not open, there's one or two personnel there. They have the ability to function," Professor Cadden said.

It's a business model built for a society in constant motion.

To help find child care services visit the United Way's website at 211childcare.org