Employer Dependent Care Benefits
Employers in every industry are turning to dependent care benefits to increase employee engagement and drive better business outcomes. From on-site child care to back-up care and elder care solutions, dependent care benefits provide the support that caregivers need to be present, focused, and productive.
What is a dependent care benefit?
Dependent care benefits are employer-sponsored solutions designed to support employees in managing the care of their dependents, such as children, spouses, or other family members. These benefits are crucial for employees who need reliable care options for their loved ones.
Dependent care benefits can take the form of:
- Employer-sponsored care: programs such as back-up care ensure employees can find instant, reliable care during both scheduled and unexpected gaps in care coverage
- Paid leave: employees can take time off from work to care for a dependent, ensuring they can attend to their family's needs without financial strain
- Financial support: employers can cover a portion of employee dependent care expenses through financial subsidies like dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and stipends
The importance of employer dependent care benefits
Employer dependent care benefits can have a major impact on the well-being of both employees and the organization as a whole.
For employees, the mental and financial toll of arranging dependent care for their loved ones is staggering. U.S. families spend between 8.9% and 16.0% of their median income on full-day care for just one child. That does not include the cost of care for multiple children or an elderly dependent. As a result, some employees have to settle for low-quality care for their loved ones.
When employees’ care arrangements for dependents fall through, employers often end up paying the price. Employees are left distracted and disengaged, and often leave the workforce altogether to provide care themselves. Breakdowns in child care alone cost businesses an estimated $4.4 billion in lost productivity and absences each year.
As a result, dependent care benefits rank among the most popular employee benefit trends because of their meaningful impact on both the lives of employees and the bottom line of the employer. They help employees balance their family and professional responsibilities more successfully so they can deliver their best performance at work. By providing robust dependent care benefits, employers can attract top talent, retain talented employees, and improve job satisfaction, productivity, and engagement.
A comprehensive guide
Understanding family care benefits
Our guide explains the various types of family care benefits, including stipends, child care centers, and back-up care, to help you build the right program for your unique workforce.
Types of employer-provided dependent care benefits
Bright Horizons offers a range of employer-paid dependent care solutions to help your organization build a sustainable, engaged, and high-performing workforce. These solutions include:
On-site child care benefits
An on-site child care center provides convenient care options for working parents, making it easier to manage their family responsibilities so they can stay focused at work. With best in class child care centers, Bright Horizons provides the expertise to design or manage a corporate child care program that meets the unique needs of your workforce, helping to attract and retain current and future parents, and demonstrate your organization cares about its employees.
Back-up care benefits
Back-up care benefits help workers quickly coordinate emergency care when other care options fall through. As the only care provider with hands-on operational experience in nearly every care category, we manage a vast network of more than 3,000 centers and 200,000 in-home caregivers. Bright Horizons provides nationwide care coverage that employees can access with a simple call, a few clicks of a mouse, or taps on a phone.
Our services include back-up child care, school-age care, and elder care, allowing employees to avoid the breakdowns in care that cause disruptions in the workplace.
Dependent care benefits for aging relatives
Dependent care benefits for aging relatives, or elder care benefits, provide services that help employees find reliable care solutions for aging parents or other relatives.
Whether an elderly relative lives around the corner or across the country, Bright Horizons' elder care programs provide access to critical services, from assistance organizing documents and managing appointments to suggestions for recommended resources and on-site assessments that can help to address evolving needs. Elder care benefits help employees efficiently manage complex and emotional care challenges that can cause absenteeism and lack of focus.
Extended care benefits for diverse needs
Bright Horizons knows that employee needs are unique, and one solution doesn't fit all. That's why we offer Enhanced Family Supports aimed at saving employees time and money on additional caregiving needs. Whether it's assistance finding vetted caregivers, tutoring support and learning tools, or child care discounts, employee peace of mind comes from having support for a range of needs.
Creating a dependent care benefits program with Bright Horizons
As a national leader in family care and education solutions, Bright Horizons provides high-quality dependent care for working caregivers with options for full-time, part-time, and back-up care.
Our strategies and solutions grow with your workforce, constantly adapting and innovating to meet the evolving needs of your employees. An unmatched national network of care providers ensures that your employees will have the support they need to balance the demands of their work and home lives where and when they need it.
Today, more than a thousand companies worldwide rely on employer dependent care benefits from Bright Horizons.
Learn More
Explore dependent care solutions for your workforce
Dependent care benefits can be a game-changer for your employees and business. See how Bright Horizons can support your organization.
Looking to book care or access your employee benefits? Get started here.