What is on-site child care?

On-site child care is a company-sponsored program situated in or nearby a workplace, and can also incorporate back-up care facilities designed to help working parents manage child care emergencies. Instead of having your lead marketer miss out on important meetings because she couldn’t find a last-minute babysitter, company-sponsored child care helps mitigate the burden. When employees have a child care solution they can count on, they’ll have peace of mind and be more productive on the job.

On-site child care benefits for employers

Employer-provided daycare can have a significant impact on your organization. Here’s why on-site child care benefits you, as an employer, just as much as your employees.

• Increased flexibility: Raising a family while working is no small feat, and it tends to hamper employee flexibility — working parents often have to turn down extra hours and don’t have as much leeway when it comes to early-morning or late-afternoon meetings. A company-sponsored child care program can make scheduling easier on everyone. 
• Better productivity: On-site child care gives working parents one less thing to worry about. Knowing that their child is safe and nearby can give them peace of mind, boost their focus, and increase productivity.
• Increased loyalty and commitment: Employees are the heart of every organization. When they’re happy, your business will thrive. On-site daycare increases employee loyalty and commitment, even for those who don’t need an on-site child care facility, because it shows that your organization cares about employees and their families.

On-site child care benefits for employees

On-site child care benefits employees just as much as employers. Here are a couple of the benefits of on-site child care for employees.

• Seamless transition for new parents returning to work: Transitioning back to work after having a baby can be difficult — especially for first-time parents. On-site daycare can lessen the back-to-work stress.
• Easier to balance work and parenting: 60% of families in the U.S. have both parents working, and they need a reliable child care solution. Studies have shown that many even delay parenting due to the inability to work and parent at the same time. An employee child care program can encourage your workforce to focus on both their personal and professional lives. 

How on-site child care benefits are changing workplaces

Today, only about 6% of companies in the U.S. currently provide on-site child care programs — and these companies typically look more attractive to potential employees. Working parents are choosing companies that prioritize employee wellbeing, even when salaries are lower. This is just one of the perks of setting up an on-site child care program. 

How to set up an employer on-site child care

First, decide on the type of child care that suits your organization; then, move on to planning, execution, and management. Bright Horizons can help with it all — with over 30 years of experience providing child care center development and management services, you’ll have the assistance you need to set up a functioning employer-sponsored child care center.