Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/employer-child-care-surviving-and-thriving/5019226/
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, ‘industry day care’ was ballyhooed as the way to provide affordable, high-quality child care for America’s working families. Books were written, conferences were held. However, in 1973, Margaret Steinfels, in her review of the history and status of child care, Who’s Minding the Children? (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1973), made this observation:“A government survey uncovered all of eleven industrial day care centers . . . suggesting that despite government encouragement and potential tax benefits, not many companies are rushing to open day care centers for their workers. With few exceptions, most of the industrial day care centers have been established by firms in which the vast majority of employers are women, notably textile and garment manufacturers.”
My, how times have changed! Today employer child care is accepted as a standard benefit for employees and nearly all Fortune 500 companies have gotten involved. The current recession threatened to halt the growth of employer child care as companies consolidated, cut back, and folded. However, in reviewing the status of employer child care for this trend report, it appears that the sky is not falling. Here are insights from CEOs of the two largest employer child care ...