Leading With Care

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High-quality, affordable, and accessible childcare has a significant impact on the economic growth and competitiveness of our companies and country. Currently, two-thirds of children ages 5 and under live in homes where both parents work, yet the number of affordable childcare spots has decreased. In Oregon, families in 25 of the 36 counties live in a childcare desert. This means that there are three children for every one childcare spot in the state.

US businesses lose $3 billion annually due to employee absenteeism related to childcare, and 83% of millennials say that they would leave their jobs for one with more family-friendly benefits. Family-friendly policies increase recruitment and retention; decreases absenteeism, increases productivity, and save money for the employer. High quality child care supports today’s workforce (parents and guardians), while creating a strong foundation necessary for success in future workforce (children).

This toolkit provides resources to enable the business community to advance access to high-quality, affordable childcare to support employees and the broader community; reach out to your local Child Care Resource and Referral or Early Learning Hub for more information on how you as a business owner can support your employees with their child care needs.