More and more companies are offering on-site child care. Parents love it, but is it a long-term solution?

LAS VEGAS (AP) — They operate in places like an airport, a hotel complex and a distribution center, out of public view but close enough for easy access. They often emit laughter – as well as the sound of falling blocks, bouncing balls and winding tricycles.

These are workplace-based daycares. And in America’s strained child care landscape, they’re popping up more frequently.

Skyrocketing child care costs and staffing shortages are making arrangements more difficult for working parents. Some left their jobs after having difficulty finding quality care. Employers, in turn, view their entry into the child care field as both a competitive advantage and a boost to workplace morale.

“In the absence of government intervention and investment, many companies have stepped up to ensure their employees can access affordable child care,” says Samantha Melvin, assistant research professor at the The Erikson Institute, an independent graduate school for early childhood. early childhood education.

Parents with workplace child care praise its convenience and affordability.

Frances Ortiz, who works in accounting at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, can’t think of a better option. She says her 3-year-old daughter learned her independence and language skills — with her mother nearby — at the on-site daycare for the property’s employees.

“She’s coming here,” Ortiz said. “She grabs my badge. She must open the door for herself.

In September, Pittsburgh International Airport added an on-site daycare. The center serves children of Allegheny County Airport Authority employees as well as those of certain airport workers, such as food and beverage workers, ground handlers and wheelchair attendants .

Airport officials say the idea grew out of a desire to integrate more women and people of color into the aviation workforce. Additionally, the airport is 17 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, making child care logistics difficult for employees. At the moment it is operating at half capacity.

“It’s certainly important proof to our team that we mean it when we say we’re investing in them and what they need,” says Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates the airport.

Child care costs can dwarf rent or mortgages, if parents can access child care in the first place. Many find themselves on waiting lists.

Experts warn against over-reliance on businesses to fill the void. Philip Fisher, director of the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, says this could undermine efforts to recognize child care as a public good.

“A lot of well-meaning people think it’s a really good idea, and for those who would benefit from it, it might be,” he says. “Again, there are many downsides, even in the short term. »

One of those potential pitfalls, he says, is instability if a parent suddenly loses their job and then has to find new day care and a new job.

Help offered by public and private employers runs the gamut. Some run their own center. Others outsource operations and management.

The financial terms also differ. Many companies and organizations do not disclose the exact discounts offered to employees.

Walmart, for example, recently opened an on-site day care center on its massive campus in Bentonville, Arkansas. Little Squiggles Child Enrichment Center charges a monthly rate of between $1,117 and $1,258, depending on the child’s age, which company officials say is “market rate or below regional levels for comparable care.”

Another method gaining traction: Employers provide grants to families to use for child care options within their own communities.

KinderCare, a leading nationwide child care operator, partners with more than 600 companies and organizations to offer employee-sponsored child care, up from 400 in 2019, says Dan Figurski, president of KinderCare for Employers and Champions. These employers represent the technology, medical, banking, academic and utility sectors, among others.

In Nevada, the Venetian Resort’s daycare, operated by KinderCare, is in a back hallway, just steps from Las Vegas Boulevard.

All employees can enroll their children, subject to space availability, at a cost generally 35 to 40 percent lower than KinderCare’s regular rate, says Matt Krystofiak, Venetian’s director of human resources. The company also offers subsidies to employees who wish to enroll their children in an off-site KinderCare, closer to home.

“We do this because it’s what our team members want,” says Krystofiak. “This is what our team members need.”

Some companies view investments in child care as a reflection of their company culture.

Patagonia’s foray into the child care business began in 1983, when some of the company’s first employees began having children. As the clothing retailer grew, so did its child care footprint. Today, she runs three day care centers – two in Southern California and one in Reno, Nevada – that serve about 200 children.

The company charges employees at each location what executives describe as an “average market rate.” Subsidies are available based on household income, says Sheryl Shushan, Patagonia’s director of global family services. Daycare teachers are employed by Patagonia and therefore also receive benefits.

In the outdoor classroom at Patagonia’s Reno distribution center, children spend hours digging in the sand, riding bikes, playing with water, or climbing natural and human-made objects. man. Patagonia executives say the benefits on their side are better employee retention, a positive workplace spirit and a greater sense of community.

For Alyssa Oldham, a classroom principal in Reno, employment and child care benefits meant rethinking the size of her family. Initially, she and her husband considered becoming a one-child family, given the costs of child care.

She now comes to work with her 4-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter.

“Working here, I thought, ‘We could have another child,’” she says.

This series on how the child care crisis is affecting working parents — with a focus on solutions — is produced by the Education Reporting Collaborative, a coalition of eight newsrooms, including The Hechinger Report, AL. com, The Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News, Idaho Education News, the Post & Courier and the Seattle Times.