Children's ministry is in need

There is a surprising lack of commitment in the children's ministries. Not from the ministers themselves; if anything they are screaming for our help. I have been in quite a few churches over the years in my moves along the east coast and they all have an alarming need for workers.
I have recently been added to the committed few that manage parts of the ministry. I simply call those who are scheduled to minister in pre-specified rooms and they are to show up because they had previously committed to. I have found this DIFFICULT! I love this! Don't get me wrong. I want this position. Children's ministries is where God has called me and I'm fully available and willing.
But just the same, I make my phone calls to remind those few that have signed up to help. They receive schedules every three months letting them know when they're expected. Three months! They have plenty of time to let us know if they cannot be there, or if they want off the schedule. Then there's another issue of finding someone to take their place; again.

I understand that sickness or the like afford a great reason (not excuse) and are plenty accepted and we do our best from there. 'Cause first we don't want them coming in and feeling ill or having them bring their ill children and second we don't want them getting the children they're ministering to ill either. So there's that.
The issue I have is those that just don't show up or don't call or drop off the face of the earth!
Some of those are teenagers. Now ,sure you say, "well they're teenagers". I say no, they are still under their parents tutelage and should be being taught that responsibility. Some parents ignore the situation and others let them quit. I have come across one parent that let her teenager quit her position but let me know after talking extensively with her daughter. I believe they dealt with it appropriately.
I think we are coming up with some solutions. We are not merely offering a sign up, which in the past has brought on ONE person. We are beginning to "recruit". There the needs arise and we walk the halls of Sunday morning fellowship hour asking anyone who comes along. I feel a bit guilty about this because I'm preying on people who just want to come to church and they get accosted to help in the nursery. But we need to have someone there for the visitors if not others too.
Visitors come in and who knows whether they're christians or what the situation might be and they need to have the services available uninterrupted to get a proper impression of the church. So in turn we have to have the rooms manned.
I have stepped in on occasion. I have other responsibilities in other parts of the children's ministry too. I lead preschool worship called Power in Praise Worship. I also get to take the K-2 and do an age-appropriate lesson for them in Kids Chapel. I love what I do. Please never misunderstand me in this.
But this also brings up the argument that, well other people have other responsibilities too. Well I agree and more power to them. Great stuff that they feel called to a ministry in the church. But the statistics are blinding that most people who go to church are takers.
Takers are people who come to receive, which I have no qualms with people receiving from God, but takers are people who come in and use all the resources a church has to offer and then go home and lead their lives as if they never went to church at all.
There are workers. People who come and only work at church, they do not attend a service and those people really deserve a pat on the back, but still there's no balance.
Then there's the "reciprocators". Servers we'll call them. They go to both services. One service they work and then other service attend to receive. There's a balance there.
I am also aware that not everyone can attend both services on every given Sunday. Well then decide on which to do; whether attending sermon or serving in a ministry, by what God tells you.
Most the time if we have to decide we work it by time. Whatever time we have to leave by is the determining factor to which service we go to. Most the time we do not make plans unless they include attending both services anyways. But we have that luxury.
I don't really have a good solution to all this. I am merely venting at the moment. God knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart and He is who we answer to, not me or anyone else.
The frustration of the need is still there, but I'm doing what God wants me to do in the serving. I am simply putting out there that there is a need and someone should answer the call.