Spotlight on Businesses Helping to Fight the Child Care Crisis

While the private sector alone can’t end our nation’s infant-and-toddler child care crisis, businesses can take important steps to improve child care options for their employees and their families. Here are three prime examples of leadership by companies that are working to help combat the child care crisis:

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Child Care at Casey’s General Stores (Corporate HQ in Ankeny, Iowa)

Casey’s General Stores Corporate Headquarters has its own Child Development Center in Ankeny, IA for their employees. The Center offers age-appropriate development programs for children aged six weeks through pre-kindergarten, along with a summer program for children aged 6 to 11 as well.

The Center is staffed by a manager, an assistant manager/teacher and 19 full-time teachers with training in child development. Most teachers have a bachelor’s degree in education, and over half of the staff have been there for more than 10 years. They use Creative Curriculum to guide learning and assessment from birth through pre-kindergarten-aged children. The curriculum was shaped by child development theory and scientific research and meets standards set by state and professional associations.

Parents of infants and toddlers pay $235 weekly for full-time care while they’re at work, and parents of preschoolers and school-aged kids pay $195 weekly.

“Having a quality onsite childcare facility, with the support of Casey’s management team, creates a perfect balance for work and family. I have had the privilege of working with so many talented and wonderful individuals throughout the years and have witnessed close to 400 children successfully graduate from our remarkable program.”

Company contact: Chris Moulden, cmoulden@caseys.com, 515 965 6520

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Child Care at Patagonia (Corporate HQ in Ventura, California)

In 1983, Patagonia started offering onsite child care to support employees who needed affordable, accessible, quality child care. Today onsite child care is available in three US locations with over 40K sf of indoor/outdoor space dedicated to serving children ages 8 weeks to kindergarten. Patagonia eliminates many of the challenges faced by parents all over the US by establishing tuition rates parents can afford and continuing to dedicate space for new classrooms to avoid waitlists. This allows parents to focus on work because they know their children are well cared for in a safe, nurturing environment with trained teachers.

The benefits of offering onsite child care far outweigh the risks and resources associated with the program. To mention a few, Patagonia celebrates that 95% of mothers return from maternity leave, employee turnover that is half the national average, and gender parity at all corporate levels including the board room.

Company contact Sheryl Shushan, Sheryl.shushan@patagonia.com, (805) 667-2437

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Child care at Cummins, Inc. (Corporate HQ in Columbus, Indiana)

The Cummins Child Development Center in Columbus, Indiana was established in 2001 to address a shortage of quality child care options in the community for their employees. Cummins recognizes that working parents can be compromised in their efforts to be both good parents and good workers due to the lack of reliable and quality child development/care. Today the center has a capacity of 260 children ages 6 weeks to 6 years of age with tuition partially subsidized for Cummins employees. The center is based on a philosophy of acceptance and respect for one another, high educational standards and principles, and being a welcoming environment to the global community.

The goal in the success of the child depends on intentional teaching practices, purposefully-designed environments and enriched activities. Children leave the center with a well-rounded educational foundation that meets or exceeds the prerequisites for K-12 education.

Company contact: Lawrence McCormack, Lawrence.mccormack@cummins.com, (317) 473 - 4161