How to manage childcare & shiftwork

[MikeFromLFE]

Not my problem, but I'm curious how other people manage.

My son has accepted a new job that will involve 12 hour shifts (I think it's 3 weeks on / 1 off)
My daughter-in-law will be starting a new job in 4 months that is a nominally rotating 8 hour shift pattern, but with the possibility of the shift not finishing exactly on time.
They've got 3 little darlings at school, aged 3, 8 & 12.

How do families manage these sorts of juggling acts when it comes to stuff like collecting the younger ones from school, overnight childcare, random timings & unpredictability.
I'm sure my son and his family aren't that unusual - so how does modern life work?

[orienteer]

Grandparents! But they have to be local which isn't common these days.

[De Sisti]

Use the extra shift-pay to pay for childminders?

[barakta]

Grandparents! But they have to be local which isn't common these days.

Swapping childcare with local friends.

Some childminders will take semi random arrangements or PAYG type arrangements.

[MikeFromLFE]

Use the extra shift-pay to pay for childminders?

I get that - it's a bit like working more to pay for the car that gets you to work, but it's the apparent randomness of the requirement for childminding that I can't get my head around.