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Businesses' Top Child Care Questions Answered

Employer-provided child care is a benefit that has become increasingly popular, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many employers became acutely aware of the challenges their workforce faced in balancing child care and full-time employment, especially with child care centers predominantly closed. Although we are now in a post-pandemic era, child care concerns and costs remain a significant issue for many employees. For employers interested in supporting their working parents and attracting talent in need of child care, this Q & A article examines how to develop effective child care benefits programs and addresses key questions commonly asked by businesses and HR.

Question: I know the high cost of child care can be an issue for my employees. How can I support my employees struggling with child care costs?

Answer: Businesses can support employees by offering flexible spending accounts (FSAs) that allow employees to use pre-tax dollars for child care expenses. Additionally, businesses can provide child care subsidies or vouchers, negotiate discounts with local child care providers, or even consider on-site child care facilities to directly support their employees' needs.

Question: What flexible work options can I offer to help my employees balance work and child care responsibilities?

Answer: Implementing flexible work schedules, such as allowing for remote work, flexible start and end times, or compressed workweeks, can significantly help employees manage their child care responsibilities. Job sharing and part-time options can also be beneficial for parents needing to balance work and child care.

Question: How can I find reliable child care providers for my employees?

Answer: Businesses can collaborate with local child care resource and referral agencies like Child Care Aware® of Missouri to identify reliable and high-quality child care providers. Creating partnerships with family child care providers and local centers can also ensure employees have access to trusted and flexible child care options.

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Question: My company is considering building on-site child care. What are the benefits, and what are the steps?

Answer: This is a common question. You know that on-site child care can boost your employee productivity, cut down on absenteeism, and improve job satisfaction and retention. However, getting a child care up and running can be quite daunting. You’ll need to assess demand within your company, understand legal and regulatory compliance, design and construct a suitable child care facility, and find staff, among other tasks. Many businesses find the process overwhelming and give up.

When it comes to deciding whether to tackle this on your own or partner up, think about your resources, expertise, and capacity. Partnering with a knowledgeable organization to help with this task can be a game-changer, offering you expertise, resources, and support to help navigate the child care capacity challenge.

Question: How can I advocate for child care support at the legislative level?

Answer: At a basic level, you can engage in advocacy by joining coalitions such as Kids Win Missouri or Child Care Aware® of America. These organizations offer email updates in or through virtual meetings on the status of bills affecting families and children weekly or monthly, keeping you informed easily. Often, there are links where you can add your voice in just a few simple steps. Participating in your local chamber of commerce efforts and directly communicating with state legislators are also helpful and require different levels of engagement. Just remember, highlighting the economic impact of the child care crisis and supporting policies that provide financial relief and resources for child care solutions is crucial.

Question: What tax incentives or credits are available to businesses supporting child care? unnamed (6)

Answer: While Missouri did not pass the recent child care tax credit, you can explore federal tax incentives such as the Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (IRS Form 8882). This credit allows employers to claim a percentage of their child care expenditures, including costs for on-site child care facilities and child care resource and referral services.

Question: I am an HR professional in a rural community. How can I use employee feedback to improve child care support?

Answer: Firstly, it's great that you are thinking about getting a temperature read on your employees. If you are not conducting surveys on a semi-regular schedule, how will you know your employees' current pain points? When you conduct surveys and focus groups to gather feedback from employees about their child care needs and challenges, you gain valuable insights. Asking questions like, "Are there specific child care services or resources you wish were available to you as an employee?" can help you understand exactly what they need.

It’s important to consider how these questions may be perceived. Some employees might feel uneasy sharing personal information, worrying it could affect their job security. So, approach these conversations with care and consider keeping responses anonymous to respect their privacy, especially in smaller companies.

Based on the feedback you receive, create a plan to address the identified needs. Maybe it's about introducing flexible work schedules, offering financial help for child care, or teaming up with child care experts like Child Care Aware® ccamo.org to help with the heavy lifting. We can even assist with the employee child care survey to anonymize the results and provide a neutral voice. Remember, planning is just the first step. Implementation and utilizing a continuous feedback loop are crucial to ensure that these changes are truly effective.

Thinking about recruiting and retaining employees through the lens of offering a child care benefit can be daunting, but it need not be. We can assist with questions like: Do you have a method to assess your employees' productivity and well-being? How would you identify the KPIs to ensure the program's success? How do you scale the program if it proves successful? Child Care Aware® of Missouri can help businesses navigate the complexities of child care support, providing the expertise needed to implement effective strategies and support systems for their workforce.