I am job-hunting as a parent of a small child. My child goes to after care after school. After care closes at 6 PM. For most jobs I am applying for, the one-way commute is 30-45 minutes to the after care center. Therefore, I cannot accept a job that will require me to routinely stay at the office beyond 5:15-5:30 PM. Also, there are multiple days in the school calendar where the school is closed or there is early dismissal. Not to mention the usual times when children get sick and need to be picked up at short notice. I need a job to be accommodating of these things in time flexibility, telecommuting and a culture where a crazy amount of work hours is not expected.
I was wondering if it would be a good idea to state this in a cover letter so that if I get interviewed it would only be by employers who can accommodate these needs. Is that a fair assumption? Or is doing this a potential turnoff to most HR people and hiring managers regardless of if the company they work for is family friendly?