| It is important to determine the best practices in companies noted for their on-site child care.; The purpose of the study was to identify the 10 top companies offering child care and determine their best practices. These characteristics can be reviewed by other companies when designing their on-site child care programs.; The data collection process consisted of a survey of the Human Resource and Child Care directors in the top 10 companies as identified in the Working Mother magazine's 1998 13th annual survey of the 100 Best companies for working mothers. The parents of the children enrolled in three on-site child care centers of the top ten companies for working mothers were also surveyed. Additionally, three on-site child care centers were observed to determine their best practices.; The results of the study indicated that the best practices are: (a) to establish support from the employees through work/life initiatives. These work/life initiatives include: flexible work arrangements, dependent care subsidy assistance, extended maternal and parental leave, on-site child care programs, vacation/holiday and sick/emergency benefits, and summer camp child care programs; and (b) support projects that increase the quantity and quality of dependent care resources by creating community partners that combine creative financing techniques, technical assistance, and long term capital support to help build the child care center.; Creating a high quality on-site child care program takes more than good teachers, facilities and resources. It takes the support and commitment of a company which understands the value of what child care means to its employees. In order for a company to create such an environment the top 10 companies in this study encourage parents to work closely with the child care consultants to design and manage each individual child care center. Just as important as a high quality faculty so is a high quality curriculum.; The top 10 companies realize that quality on-site child care centers are a powerful tool to reduce employee stress, absenteeism or tardiness, decrease child care expense, improve employee productivity and employee retention, recruitment, and increase company loyalty and morale. |
