COCC Ask the Experts — Child Care Considerations for a Better Business

Question: I’m having trouble hiring staff because they can’t find child care.
What are some key considerations for businesses in Oregon that might help?

A: Thanks for this question. We are hearing this as a consistent story across the state and nation, that child care is impacting the economic stability of American households and businesses.

1. An employer can take a leadership role in understanding their employee’s needs and provide a solution. Recent economic surveys show that employers that offer a child care benefit package as part of employment experience stronger recruitment, lower turnover, enhanced productivity and improved attendance.

2. A toolkit from Child Care Works for Oregon, childcareworksfororegon.org/for-employers, supports businesses and organizations in understanding the complexity of how child care is impacting their bottom line. Discover a range of approaches to support working parents and identify which will meet the needs of your employees. By identifying the specific challenges employees are facing, employers can develop effective strategies for long-term solutions.

• Tools available through this resource include:
• Absenteeism Calculator
• Turnover Calculator
• Cost/Benefit Analysis Tool
• Employee Survey Tool

3. NeighborImpact Child Care Resources also has resources for businesses, available at neighborimpact.org/employer-supported-child-care, including how employers can help subsidize child care costs.

Local organizations like NeighborImpact, together with partners like Central Oregon Community College’s Early Child Care Business Accelerator Program, have recently generated over 800 new slots in Central Oregon.

The Early Child Care Business Accelerator Program is part of COCC’s Small Business Development Center, which offers free, confidential professional business advising and a variety of low-cost courses to help entrepreneurs through the business lifecycle: cocc.edu/sbdc.