Child Care Perk a Competitive Edge for Educators
Much has been written about young career women "opting out" of the workplace once they become moms. Reasons cited for leaving careers include the high cost of child care and the pressure from demands to be a successful and dedicated wife, mother and employee. School districts have taken note of the young teachers who graduate and start their careers, only to leave when they become parents as well, creating voids in the hiring and retention of quality employees. A growing solution is to offer child care perks as an incentive for teachers to stay in the classroom. Teacher participants agree that it helps with the work-life balance they struggle to attain.
Districts like Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (GCISD), located in Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas, are opening quality daycare centers as a way to entice quality educators to stay employed while raising young children. The district's day care and preschool facility, which opened in August 2007, features separate rooms and early childhood educators dedicated to each age group. The cost is about the same, or perhaps a little less, than available day care in the area. But cost is only one reason why families like it.
Other advantages include the day care is only open when school is in session, meaning that parents don't have to pay for holidays or days when their kids don't need to be there, unlike most traditional care. In addition, because it is school-district operated, the center may be open on high-need dates or special evening activities to avoid teachers feeling in a bind for finding a place for their kids to go while they attend a required training or school-related event. Some district centers remain open in the summer months by providing "camp kid" options for enrichment, sports, summer learning programs, or day camps with field trips. While it's a business, the overall goal of most districts are to have the child care centers be a break-even venture only. Finally, because the center is located in the same district geographical area as where they work, it provides greater convenience.
Many district-run facilities utilize high-quality educators and seek accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Often, the center is run by an experienced child care director who knows the business and also has an established relationship with the district's administration and parents as well. And because the families are mostly made up of teachers (although some districts may open it up to all employees and others will allow the public to join based on availability), there is greater agreement as to expectations and early learning needs for future school success. Although most classroom teachers are women, male educators are just as quick to sign up their young children at the center to allow their working wives the same convenience and comfort afforded to their female counterparts.
While the arrangement is only feasible for districts who have the space and the desire to operate such a venture, results seem to indicate these centers may mean the difference between attracting the best talent possible and keeping a new parent on the payroll. Educators should ask if this type of option is offered (or similar, in which a local child care center may have a special arrangement with a school district) when choosing where they would like to teach. If a child care perk is not currently available, the next step is to ask why not and see if a feasibility study can be started. After all, it's another option for helping school districts make the grade!
Districts like Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (GCISD), located in Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas, are opening quality daycare centers as a way to entice quality educators to stay employed while raising young children. The district's day care and preschool facility, which opened in August 2007, features separate rooms and early childhood educators dedicated to each age group. The cost is about the same, or perhaps a little less, than available day care in the area. But cost is only one reason why families like it.
Other advantages include the day care is only open when school is in session, meaning that parents don't have to pay for holidays or days when their kids don't need to be there, unlike most traditional care. In addition, because it is school-district operated, the center may be open on high-need dates or special evening activities to avoid teachers feeling in a bind for finding a place for their kids to go while they attend a required training or school-related event. Some district centers remain open in the summer months by providing "camp kid" options for enrichment, sports, summer learning programs, or day camps with field trips. While it's a business, the overall goal of most districts are to have the child care centers be a break-even venture only. Finally, because the center is located in the same district geographical area as where they work, it provides greater convenience.
Many district-run facilities utilize high-quality educators and seek accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Often, the center is run by an experienced child care director who knows the business and also has an established relationship with the district's administration and parents as well. And because the families are mostly made up of teachers (although some districts may open it up to all employees and others will allow the public to join based on availability), there is greater agreement as to expectations and early learning needs for future school success. Although most classroom teachers are women, male educators are just as quick to sign up their young children at the center to allow their working wives the same convenience and comfort afforded to their female counterparts.
While the arrangement is only feasible for districts who have the space and the desire to operate such a venture, results seem to indicate these centers may mean the difference between attracting the best talent possible and keeping a new parent on the payroll. Educators should ask if this type of option is offered (or similar, in which a local child care center may have a special arrangement with a school district) when choosing where they would like to teach. If a child care perk is not currently available, the next step is to ask why not and see if a feasibility study can be started. After all, it's another option for helping school districts make the grade!
