Back to school: How to solve child care issues and become an HR hero

When the kids return to the classrooms after the summer holidays, your staff’s childcare worries completely disappear, right? Not exactly. It’s a common misconception that employers assume that the childcare challenges faced by working families will go away once children go back to school.

There are many ways HR and benefits professionals can support the parents and guardians in their workforce—through exploring, expanding, and expanding Childcare allowance for employees at the top of the list.

You can help solve it Concerns about childcare for working families during the stressful start of school. Benefits decisions can directly impact your employees’ lives outside of the workplace, which is huge!

New parents struggling to find an affordable, viable childcare solution for their children? Do friends or colleagues retire completely because of a lack of childcare? Many need access to childcare programs year-round—but especially during the back-to-school season.

Go ahead, be someone’s HR hero.

School childcare considerations for employers
We know that at any one time there are countless tasks, priorities and projects on your plate and that there are only a finite number of hours in the day. But a happy and successful workforce requires happy and productive employees, including working parents.

For many people, childcare is still an issue for families with young children as young as five — but that’s not the case. Childcare is also often needed for older children, particularly those aged six to 12.

What do parents with older children do when the school day ends in the middle of the working day? The short answer? You have to find out. The pandemic has shown us that schools act as critical infrastructure (and in a sense often serve as structured childcare), but that’s not the whole story. It also showed the importance of finding quality and affordable childcare to enable both families and the economy to thrive.

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After-school care programs are one answer many working families turn to, but they are not always available in every school. And when you are are offered, these in-demand programs tend to fill up quickly and have limited staff. They’re a great option if you can afford the cost, actually get a seat, and can pick up your child around 5pm, but they’re out of reach for the majority of American families.

How much do your employees pay to look after their children? It varies widely, but the average national cost of aftercare in public schools is $100 to $500 and up per month per child. That adds up! For many working families, especially those with multiple children, it also represents a significant financial burden.

Trying to manage a school schedule that is consistently at odds with a typical work day schedule is a reality most parents and guardians face. Parents know only too well that school is dismissed fairly early, often between 2:15 and 3:30 p.m.

This chronic misalignment causes parents to cobble together Childcare solutions for the hours before they can pick up their children. What happens if childcare times are not flexible? Families need to find more expensive childcare options to fit that schedule — or reduce their hours. Working parents bear the brunt of this stress and their job performance suffers as they lose 5% of their work week.

Traditional childcare centers are difficult in terms of flexibility and are unlikely to be the answer to after-school childcare problems. Unlike nannies, babysitters, and many daycare centers, traditional daycare centers are typically farther from home or work, making them less suitable for busy working parents.

Another factor limiting the effectiveness of traditional on-site childcare is that many more parents are now working from home. If you have a remote, hybrid, or geographically dispersed workforce, on-site childcare simply isn’t a practical option for them.

Employers who do not prioritize childcare are at a disadvantage
By now, many employers know that not offering employer-sponsored child care benefits seriously affects a company’s bottom line. But how?

Having children is a unique responsibility. There are always unforeseeable events and emergencies. When working parents and guardians don’t have access to childcare services — particularly options like substitute care — they miss out on more work.

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How surprised would you be if I told you that employees with children tend to be less focused at work? Not exactly shocked, right? Working parents have a lot to do with the constant responsibility for childcare. Understandably, they sometimes get distracted, which affects their productivity.

In situations where working families cannot find quality and affordable childcare, some parents are forced to leave their jobs to care for their children. This presents employers with retention and hiring challenges, not to mention all the institutional knowledge that is lost when an employee resigns.

What happens when you become the HR childcare hero?
If not offering childcare benefits has significant downsides, what happens to employers who prioritize this type of support for their employees?

When organizations offer comprehensive childcare services—including childcare-as-a-benefit programs—prospective employees look forward to joining their workforce. Adjustment suddenly becomes easier.

Working parents with childcare allowance are reported more frequently. When an employee misses time at work due to childcare issues, their workload often falls on their co-workers or a supervisor. Employees who are supported by childcare benefits do better jobs and stay with their employers longer, keeping talent in the company and freeing up HR.

Working families who feel supported by their employers are more likely to be successful because children’s learning and growth is reflected in their parents’ careers. All of this benefits the employee, their organization and society in general, with more well-groomed, more productive citizens.

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To competitively recruit and retain the best talent in your organization, clearly show that you offer childcare services to your workforce. Feature your nursing service offerings on your website and in any job posting that you list for open positions. That way, job applicants looking for employer-sponsored childcare benefits will choose you over your peers.