While it used to be the norm for one partner in a relationship to work while the other stayed home and cared for the home and the children, the economy and changing social norms have now often made it necessary for both spouses to participate in the workforce. While there are advantages to this, it puts pressure on many parents to find reliable childcare for their children. Statistics show that nearly 11 million children under the age of 5 in the United States are in some type of day care arrangement every week. Additionally, nearly 23% of parents reportedly employ “multiple arrangements” to ensure their children are being cared for, demonstrating the difficulty of finding consistent childcare options for working parents.
Finding a solution to this problem can be extraordinarily difficult and raises a number of questions. Should parents turn to private day care providers, which can often be quite expensive, or ask family members for help? Can after school activities fill those few hours between the end of the school day and closing time at the office? However, there may be a simpler resolution to the problem than initially seemed possible: corporate childcare.
Corporate childcare utilizes private day care services to provide child care at the business where the parent is employed. In many cases, companies with onsite childcare also subsidize the cost of the facility, helping parents afford the service. This is often an attractive feature in a society where as much as 90% of the cost of childcare is assumed by parents. However, research shows that corporate day care can be equally advantageous to employees and employers: corporate childcare can often make a business more attractive to potential employees, increase retention of current employees, and even result in higher productivity and reduced absenteeism.
It can be difficult to be a working parent due to the various responsibilities involved with balancing work and family. This is especially true when children are too young for school and still need a significant amount of attention from their parents. However, with more and more companies hiring private day care providers to create onsite childcare facilities for their employees, parents, children, and companies have much to gain. Talk to your employer or employees about corporate childcare solutions today.
