Services That Keep Your Business Running

In an era when employee recruitment and retention affect most businesses, it is necessary to address the issues that are important to the employees that keep your business running successfully. Whether you have 5 employees or 500, the Child Care Council is in the position to help you identify and address the concerns of your employees with children in child care. We can offer you either a service or information on an option that will benefit both you and your employees.

Services we offer:

• Work-Site Needs Assessments- To help you identify the child care issues and child care needs of your employees. Information can be captured either by using surveys or by talking to parent focus groups directly.
  
  
• Free Referrals- This includes an intake that outlines the child care needs and concerns of the family, consultation and information on the types of child care, and referrals to registered/licensed providers. These referrals will allow your employees to know their choices and help them get started in their search.
  
  
• Enhanced Referrals- similar to the free referrals that we offer, however, we will take the extra steps of : Calling the providers to check for immediate and expected availability Making verbal introductions on behalf of the parent Mailing or faxing profiles the potential providers to the parents All of the referrals we give are referrals only, not recommendations. The Child Care Council does not recommend, nor endorse any particular individual or program.
  
  
• Work-Site Seminars- to help support and give your employees the information they need to make their child care situation successful. Each seminar is one hour long and is held at the work-site or as arranged. Topics of the seminars include: How To Be a Good Consumer of Child Care How To Recognize Quality Child Care Parent-Provider Communication Skills HarmonizingFamily/Child Care/ Work Please contact us for rate information.
  
  
• Family Child Care Network and/or Reserving Slots in Centers or Home Care - The Council organizes family care networks and identifies programs that will reserve slots. These networks consist of individuals who have child care businesses in their homes and are registered/licensed by NYS. You may contract to develop a network specifically for your employees. You may also support this network by making contributions, to providers, that will help fund mandated requirements, furnish educational toys and supplies and further career development.
  

Additional Options Available
The Council can guide you to the information you would need to implement the following services for your employees:

• Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Assistance Accounts-Set up as an additional benefit, these accounts help to ease the employees’ fees for child care and medical/dental costs that are not covered by insurance. Not only do these accounts help promote your employees peace of mind, but they can also help you and your employees save on taxes.
  
  
• Contributions to Local Child Care Programs- You can provide financial or in-kind contributions to a new or an existing child care program that your employees are using. Contributions can include cash, equipment, and/or training fees for the professional development of the child care staff. Contributions made to specific programs that employees use help to enhance reliable, quality child care and offer you good public relations without a large cost.
  
  
• Backup Child Care- Offering employees backup child care for emergency, illness, or temporary care, either on-site or through reserving slots, is a growing trend. Companies report that the cost of providing backup care is low and the payback high, with increased employee retention and productivity.
  
  
• On-Site Child Care- Employers may create a child care program at or near the workplace. An employer-sponsored program may be as a division of the parent company, a subsidiary corporation, or an independent corporation. On-site child care offers your employees accessible care resulting in decreased stress and increased morale. It is an expensive option; however, it is a highly visible public relations tool.
  
  
• Programs Developed in Consortium with Other Employers- Consortium initiatives have the benefits of sharing expenses as well as more secured utilization of slots, but special effort must be involved to ensure on-going cooperation among members.
  
  
• Tax-Deductible Contributions to Local Non-Profit Child Care Programs

*Our resource and referral services are available to all Orange County residents regardless of race, color, sex, handicap, national origin or iincome.

Information for Employers

Employers are frequently affected by their employee’s child care problems. Absenteeism, reduced productivity, and high turnover are a result of what can happen when employees are faced with the problem of child care.

CALL THE COUNCIL TODAY FOR A FREE SUPPLY OF FREE BASIC REFERRALS FOR PARENTS TO REGISTERED/LICENSED CHILD CARE IN ORANGE COUNTY

However, the need to locate affordable daycare and make informed decisions can be time consuming and even overwhelming. Low wage employees often face greater difficulties with child care subsidies and lack of knowledge of existing assistance programs. IN ADDITION TO OUR FREE BASIC REFERRAL SERVICE, The Council provides services on a contractual basis with employers to work with employees on child care needs while they continue to work for you.

Services include;

• Info and referrals to child care on site at the place of business. Employees can visit us during their break, lunch period &/or before/after work hours.

• An enhanced referral services given to employees that includes the following in addition to the basic referral.

Benefits to the Employers

Family friendly employers know that these services are a sound investment, not only to the employees but to the image of the business to the community. This improves the absenteeism and lateness, productivity and employee turnover. A good employer-employee relationship grows your business.