Is there anyone where you work who would want to step up for a short period gaining greater experience by doing your role for a bit? One of the things I am impressed with at our childcare is the way they rotate the staff and let some have unpaid leave (one has gone off to do 10 weeks at a childcare centre in the snow doing childcare and teaching children skiing ). The kids get letters and photos from the snow :-) I think it is of benefit to the children and the staff these sort of arrangements. They just rotate room leaders and give people experience in higher roles and fill more junior positions.