THE INFORMER PAGE 2 OCTOBER 31, 1990 Taking A Good Look at Child Care: Employers Can Help Solve the Crisis The Capilano Childcare Committee is currently examining the child care needs of the College. A survey will be mailed to all College employees which will assist the committee in drafting recommendations on how to serve those needs. The following article excerpted from Inside Douglas College illustrates how the child care crisis can be addressed. Child care in North America has reached crisis proportions, according to experts in the field. And as the number of dual- income families in North America continues to escalate, the demand will only get worse. “Child care is a massive crisis and to address it will require three partners — employers, government, and parents,” says Dr. Sandra Burud, president of Burud & Associates, a California- based planning firm that conducts child care needs assessments and feasibility studies for corporations. “With so many more women in the workforce, and the added pressure on families to have two incomes, these things are happening faster than services are being offered,” says Burud. “There is a lot of positive action being taken but it’s not keeping pace with the demand for child care in the United States and Canada.” Thirty years ago, a typical family consisted of a breadwinning man and a stay-at-home wife who ran the house and raised the kids, but that’s not the case now. Many families now depend on two incomes, and large numbers of women have joined the work force. And child care experts like Burud agree that there are not enough child care services to meet the demands of families in which both parents work. What then happens, say experts, is that employee productivity, morale, and overall well being suffers. How can the problem be solved? Burud says that since employers need to find and retain skilled employees, it’s becoming evident that companies have to get involved in their workers’ child care needs. But there is a bright spot in the child care crisis, according to Burud. Employers often find that helping to provide child care services is much more beneficial than anticipated. “It’s a win-win situation,” she says. “Helping to provide child care services cuts their business costs and improves their public image. It has a strong human relations value, and for a cost- cutting measure it has positive employee relations value, which is unusual for a cost- cutting measure. It’s not often that those two go together.” Joe and Maria Minter of Vancouver are typical of many families who are feeling the strain of earning two incomes while raising a family. He’s a parts salesperson for an auto dealer, and she’s a research assistant at a community college. Their children are aged nine, three, and one. Both parents have to work to pay the bills. They need quality child care service, but it’s hard to find. “There’s no space in good day care,” says Maria. “The waiting list is one or two years, and you want to stay away from non-licensed day care.” The Minters say their jobs are affected by the lack of child care services. “It changes my work hours,” says Joe. “We have no one to look after our oldest one, so I can’t go to work until there’s someone available to do it.” Maria finds herself unable to leave the problem at home. “Concern builds up all through the day. It.affects you at work because you think about it all the time.” Dr. Arthur Emlen, Professor at Portland State University, notes that the impact of changing gender roles is felt deeply in the workplace. “The problems are real and they need to be addressed,” says Emlen. “Companies are seeking a good workforce, and the difference between men and women is changing. Men and women are beginning to look more and more alike when it comes to the effect of their performance on child care, and employers depend on strong families more than they used to.” Because employers depend on a stable workforce, says Emlen, child care support enables firms to recruit and keep ~ different categories of employees. However, that does not have to mean huge additional expenses. “Having policies that allow flexibility in work schedules is not expensive, but it is one of the most effective and appreciated methods of addressing child care needs. Purchasing a service referral that helps employees find the child care that they’re looking for goes a long way toward keeping good employees.” The notion of employer-supported child care appeals to Joe and Maria Minter. Both feel that having care services close by would make it easier for them to perform their jobs. “T feel it’s a solution to the problem,” says Maria. “The cost factor ($900 per month for three children) would be reduced enormously, and you could check up on your kids regularly if the day-care were on-site.” Joe says that concentrating on his job would be easier to do. “Tt would give mea sense of security.” ss - y yg ° yh — Article reprinted with permission of Douglas College.