More companies offer on-site child care. Parents love the convenience, but is it a long-term fix?
They operate in places like an airport, a resort, and a distribution center, tucked away from the public eye but close enough for easy access
LAS VEGAS (AP) — They operate in places like an airport, a resort, and a distribution center, tucked away from the public eye but close enough for easy access. They often emit laughter — and the sound of tumbling blocks, bouncing balls, and meandering tricycles.
They’re child care centers based at workplaces. And in the fraught American child care landscape, they are popping up more frequently.
Skyrocketing child care costs and staffing shortages have complicated arrangements for working parents. Some have left jobs after struggling to find quality care. Employers, in turn, view their entry into the child care realm as both a competitive advantage and a workplace morale booster.
“In the absence of government intervention and investment, a lot of businesses have been stepping up to make sure that their employees can access affordable child care,” says Samantha Melvin, an assistant research professor at the Erikson Institute, an independent graduate school for early childhood education.
