Cook Children’s Health Care System has always prided itself on innovation — both in patient care and employee experience. In 2001, the Texas-based medical provider identified child care shortages as a key barrier to workforce participation and made a bold, strategic investment: an on-site child care center. They haven’t looked back.

By proactively responding to the needs of its frontline healthcare workers, Cook Children’s strengthened its talent strategy and reinforced its reputation as an innovative employer of choice. The success of the center has also given rise to other family care benefits, such as back-up care, to meet a wider range of employee needs. Cook Children’s devoted team of healthcare professionals recently took time to reflect on the ongoing impact of a quarter-century commitment to family care.

Family-centered care for a thriving workforce

“As a children’s hospital, supporting families — including our staff’s — is central to our mission,” says Merridth Simpson, VP of Human Resources. “Reliable family care empowers our team members to be present at work and focused on patient care, knowing their loved ones are well cared for.” Though the Bright Horizons center at Cook Children’s was founded in 2001, it continues to address a host of workforce and business challenges still afflicting healthcare organizations to this day.

Strengthening talent acquisition and retention 

Burnout is reshaping the healthcare workforce, and pediatric nursing is feeling the strain. Only 3.7% of all nurse practitioners are certified in pediatrics — and the nursing field as a whole has seen a net loss of 22.4% of workers aged 25-54. Nurses in the prime of their career are leaving the profession in droves, with 68% saying they feel burned out most days.

Cook Children’s understands that to attract and retain top employees from an extremely limited talent pool requires more than competitive pay — it demands benefits that address the root causes of burnout and disengagement.

In Texas, where 51% of zip codes are classified as child care deserts, on-site child care is a cornerstone of the organization’s talent strategy. The benefit ensures staff aren’t hindered by a lack of quality, affordable care that fits their demanding schedules.

"When I tell people we're interviewing that we have on-site child care at Cook Children's, their reaction is the same: they immediately want to know more,” says James Rodriguez, Manager of Talent Acquisition. “Working parents are looking for those extra things that make an employer stand out.”

The data also supports the longstanding commitment to care. The Best Place for Working Parents finds that businesses that offer on-site child care for employees experience a 7.4 times higher retention rate and 8.9 times more loyal employees. Cook Children’s experience this kind of deep affinity: 96% intend to remain with the organization, and 93% would recommend their employer to others.

Supporting nontraditional schedules

According to Cheryl Peterson, Senior Vice President of Nursing and Patient Services, "One of the greatest challenges for nurses with young children is the limited times that most child care centers are open. It rarely matches health care workers' schedules.”

For many healthcare workforces, this misalignment can cause increased stress, higher absenteeism, and scheduling challenges that ultimately affect patient care.

To avoid these difficulties, the Bright Horizons center at Cook Children's is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., accommodating up to 230 children. "Having extended hours is really beneficial," says working mother and clinical pharmacy coordinator, Alice Yeh. "Having that wide flexibility supports my ability to work things into my schedule and do my job better."

Cook Children’s center families strongly agree with this colleague: 100% say that access to the center enables them to work the hours they need, and 95% report it helps them stay focused and productive at work.

Enhancing productivity through peace of mind

Family responsibilities are a major reason nurses leave or don’t return to work. Women make up almost 90% of the talent pool but also manage a lion’s share of caregiving responsibilities at home. These two priorities often clash, causing many nurses to scale back their hours or leave the workforce entirely.

For employees with children enrolled in the NAEYC-accredited Bright Horizons center, peace of mind starts with knowing their children are in the hands of dedicated, nurturing teachers. “It's not just daycare — it is a true learning and development center,” says Simpson. “Our staff have peace of mind knowing that their children are learning, growing and thriving emotionally and intellectually.” Center parents agree: 9 out of 10 are happy with the care and education their child receives and feel confident in how teachers respond to their child’s needs.

The long-term impact is just as powerful, according to Matthew Reed, a pain management clinical therapist and 10-year Cook Children’s employee. “The on-site child care has been a huge benefit for my family and, honestly, one of the reasons why we've stayed at Cook for so long." Center users not only value this benefit but also report job satisfaction levels 9 percentage points above Cook Children’s overall workforce.

Evolving with employees

While the child care center is an enduring success, Cook Children’s isn’t complacent in its benefits program. The health care system recognizes that evolving workforce trends necessitate new solutions. As the median age of RNs and LPNs/LVNs nationally is 50, many are supporting older children and aging parents. For these employees, Cook Children’s offers back-up child care, either in-home or at a dedicated back-up center, as well as back-up senior care solutions. These benefits provide employees with emergency coverage when their usual care plans fall through.

“Every organization is looking for ways to encourage their people to stay and grow with them,” says Simpson. “Benefits like back-up care and on-site child care show our employees that we value the whole family.” In just one year, the organization preserved 850 workdays that would have been missed without back-up care. This not only supports users of the benefit — it helps all employees by easing the strain of understaffing. With nearly 40% of RNs saying they intend to exit the field within the next five years, back-up care is an essential differentiator for Cook Children’s in an increasingly fraught talent market.

Driving business results

“Whether someone is able to work full time or in a different capacity often depends on the needs of their family,” says Peterson. “The wellness of our nurses and of their families is important to us because a culture of caring is really at the heart of the services we provide. How we care for our employees has a lasting effect on how they provide care to our patients. Back-up care and the on-site child care development center that Bright Horizons manages for us are key ways we support workers and keep our floors staffed.”