LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. – The Biden administration’s unveiling of its plans for the “Chips for America” program has highlighted a key barrier that all employers nationwide, including manufacturers, face when recruiting and retaining employees – child care access. Now more than ever, employers need child care solutions that meet working families' diverse needs, whether it's a tuition benefit to offset the cost of child care, back-up care for last-minute support, before- and after-school care, or on-site or near-site care. KinderCare today announced its portfolio of flexible child care options for employers large and small.

The move to require child care options for new chip manufacturing facilities reflects the broader national landscape and the shifting priorities of America’s working families. According to recent data from KinderCare Learning Companies and Harris Poll’s annual Parent Confidence Report, child care benefits are the second most important reason that parents stay at their current job—with 18% ranking them as most important benefit—behind health insurance and ahead of paid time off.

“We’re committed to supporting the economic development of communities across the country by partnering with employers to offer working families what they want and need – and that’s high-quality child care,” said Tom Wyatt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KinderCare Learning Companies. “This announcement is the latest example of our country’s recognition that child care is essential to working families. We’re here with flexible child care solutions for employers of all sizes to meet the diverse needs of their workforce.” 

KinderCare offers organizations child care solutions they can customize to suit the needs of their employees:

• Tuition Benefit and Tuition Benefit+: Offers employees scalable savings on tuition, from 10 percent to 100 percent, at more than 2,000 KinderCare Learning Centers and Champions before- and after-school programs nationwide.
• Back-up Care: Provides employees with access to drop-in, on-demand child care for children 6 weeks to 12 years old at any KinderCare Learning Center.
• Priority Access: Moves employees’ children to the top of the waitlist at KinderCare Learning Centers or guarantees an immediate seat for employee children at high-demand centers.
• Champ Camp Breaktime Programs: Fun and educational child care programs for school-age children that include field trips, outdoor adventures, and STEM activities.
• Before- and after-school care: Child care solutions for elementary students outside of the typical school day, at either on-site or at a nearby location.
• KinderCare at Work: A custom-built, on-site or near-site child care center that reflects the employer’s brand, workforce and child care needs.

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of child care as a critical component of their benefits package. In fact, KinderCare has seen 40 percent increase in employers participating in their Tuition Benefit program since 2019. Current clients include:

• Microsoft: Offers their employees subsidized child care and back up care benefits at KinderCare Learning Centers through our Tuition Benefits+ program,
• Seattle Children’s Hospital: Created custom programs that evolved as employee needs changed – from pop-up centers for school-age children at the beginning of the pandemic to tuition benefits and priority waitlist access and back-up care, and
• AriensCo and Tyson Foods: Organizations that built on-site centers in child care deserts after realizing a lack of child care options in rural areas hindered their ability to hire workers.

More information about KinderCare flexible child care options for employers is available here.

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About KinderCare Learning Companies®
A leading provider early childhood and school-age education and care, KinderCare builds confidence for life in children and families from all backgrounds. KinderCare supports hardworking families in 40 states and the District of Columbia with differentiated flexible child care solutions to meet today’s dynamic work environment:

• In neighborhoods, with KinderCare® Learning Centers that offer early learning programs for children six weeks to 12 years old and with Crème de la Crème®, which offers a premium early education model using a variety of themed classrooms,
• At work, through customized family benefits for employers across the country, including employer-supported child care benefits, on-site and near-site early learning centers and back-up care for last-minute child care, and
• In local schools, with Champions® before and after-school programs.

KinderCare programs meet the highest standards, validated by independent, third-party evaluation including:

• Gallup, measuring workforce engagement,
• National Association for the Education of Young Children, ensuring individual early learning center quality,
• Cognia, accreditation for before- and after-school programs
• BRIGANCE® and TerraNova® assessments of children’s academic progress and achievement, and
• WELL Health-Safety Rating™, validating health and safety practices in our facilities.

Headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, KinderCare operates more than 2,000 early learning centers and sites. In 2022, KinderCare earned its sixth Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award – one of only four organizations worldwide to achieve this milestone for six consecutive years. To learn more, visit KC-Learning.com.