Here's how to make your modern-day support network take root..Attorney Leslie Adler, 41, is a pro when it comes to finessing overloaded schedules. For more than a decade, the Jericho, NY, mom has navigated school and legal systems, defending the interests of a national bank by day while steering the extracurricular activities of her son, Max, 12, and daughter, Sydney, 10, by night. But last September's new school schedule was enough to make even Leslie squirm. Football practice ran back-to-back with basketball, which fell on the same night as religious classes. This is not happening, she thought. "I had to figure out who the other interested parties were," she says, kicking into litigator mode. So at Syd's basketball orientation, Leslie started working the room. Cell phone in hand, she also called the moms of Max's football teammates. Before the evening ended, two new recruits joined the ranks of her child-shuttling cohorts. "On Tuesdays, my kids partake in six carpools," she reveals.These days, when it takes a village just to get the kids from school to tae kwon do lessons, a working mother's support system cannot stop at the classic family tree of Mom, Dad and Grandma. Sure, you, your spouse and your caregiver are still central to your child's well-being, but if you want to thrive at work, you have to know your child is safe and well cared for—not waiting in the rain for a ride that never shows. To get peace of mind, you've got to get creative—and get help. A net-work of girlfriends, parents, neighbors, coaches and gym buddies is a start. But what about the chatty mom from the church bake sale whose little one is also in Girl Scouts? What about your pediatrician, or her college-age daughter, or that clever librarian at the community center? Contacts like these can offer the deep-rooted support system you need to round out your child's care. Snow day? Last-minute conference call at work? A ride to the math meet? They've got you covered. And adding allies to your family tree is not as difficult as you might think. Back-to-school is the perfect season to get started—millions of parents are out searching for solutions, making it even easier to find the help you need, too. Here, a primer on structuring, nurturing and growing a blooming support network. The Root System One of your key challenges as a working mom is to secure great child care that can stand in for you while you're on the job. You may have toured plenty of schools and day-care centers, interviewed scores of potential sitters with the efficiency of a national security agent and worked out intricate pickup and drop-off schedules with your spouse. But once that first line of child care is covered, you need a backup plan—and backup for your backup. You have to find people who can jump in at the last minute and care for your child when you really need help."I thought I had it all figured out," admits Cathy O'Rourke, a dental hygienist in Upper Saddle River, NJ. "Before I went back to work after maternity leave, I spent weeks interviewing potential preschools for my son, Aidan. Then I found a sitter to pick him up on the nights I knew I'd be late and to cover for me in case school was closed." About a month after Cathy's return to the office, the sitter called to say she had the flu, which just happened to coincide with spring break at preschool. "I had to run home and cancel all my appointments for the rest of the week," she remembers. It's a common experience. In a noted University of Cincinnati survey, one fifth of parents reported missing work at least once during the previous month due to breakdowns in child care. Being unprepared can really take a toll on parents, says Carl Arinoldo, PhD, a family psychologist and author of Essentials of Smart Parenting. "It's important for you to know that if your child becomes sick or you run into a problem at work, you will be able to meet her needs."Still not convinced you need to extend your family tree? Think about the times you get most stressed. Chances are they're when work and family needs collide, pulling you in two different directions. It's a feeling Pam Tsuzaki knows all too well. "Sometimes my twins will be in tears when they're the last ones to be picked up from school," says Pam, 42, a Honolulu sales manager and mother of four. "I try to explain that I have to work, but I feel terrible."Don't be ashamed to ask for help. According to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, 69 percent of working parents with children under age 6 rely on someone else for child care. It really does take a village, and the truth is, you're a better parent because you ask. So if you're feeling a little shy or awkward about building a support network, get over it. Having lots of help is vital to your child's safety—and your sanity. Landscaping Step one in designing your new-and-improved family tree is to get the lay of the land. Take a moment to survey your needs. The beginning of the school year is an excellent time to do this, since you've just received your child's new schedule. "Every year, the rules of your life change," says Ann Douglas, author of The Unofficial Guide to Childcare. "It's a good time to reevaluate what you've got."Try to map things out a month at a time, paying particular attention to where breakdowns in care might occur. Do two of your children have open houses on the same night? Are track tryouts on the same day as that big client meeting? "The school system has not adapted well to the work lives of parents," notes University of Chicago social services professor Julia Henly, PhD, who studies child-care arrangements. Day-care centers and schools often shut down at 5:30 p.m., and school holidays may start sooner than work ones do. Once you've laid out your child's schedule, consider your part in the equation. Working moms who travel or have other unique job responsibilities need to plan around those. "Sometimes my flight gets in late and I can't call," says Karen Mangini, 41, a Wellington, FL, oncology medical scientist and mother of three. "My friends know: If you don't hear from me, get my girls. I might be circling."

Out on a limbOnce you've got your first and second tiers in place, it's time to build the third tier. Think of this as backup for your backup. If the sitter bails minutes before your client dinner, do you have someone else you can call? Far-flung substitutes offer even more relief, and once you start building these relationships, you'll notice solutions everywhere. "Tap into any social network you have—clubs, churches, synagogues, pediatric offices," suggests Joan Lombardi, former director of the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services' Child Care Bureau and author of Time to Care. "Look for people you trust."