LENDING A CORPORATE HAND WITH CHILD CARE
Only a handful of Orange County businesses currently provide licensed child care services for employees on or near the work premises. Cost, an inability to find vacant office space and rigorous state requirements are factors in the reluctance of many employers to invest in such programs. Just seven companies provide on/near-site child care facilities for their workers. Greater employee job satisfaction, lower absenteeism and higher productivity have been the result. Company: Internal Revenue Service, Laguna Niguel Child Care Operator: Ziggurat Child Development Center, on-site location Child Age Range: Infant- 5 yrs Hours: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. Cost to Employees: Regisistration fee and tuition based on employee salary Company: Tracor Flight Systems, Santa Ana Child Care Operator: Gerber, on-site location Child Age Range: Infant-2 yrs Hours: 6 a.m.- 6 p.m. Cost to Employees: Tuition partially subsidized by company Company: City of Irvine *, Irvine Child Care Operator: Irvine Child Development Center Operating Corp., on-site location Child Age Range: Infant-5 yrs Hours: 6:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Cost to Employees: Registration fee and tuition (based on child’s age) **
Company: Fairview Developmental Center Child Care Operator: Fairview Employee Childcare Center, on-site location in Costa Mesa
Child Age Range: Infant-5 yrs Hours: 6 a.m.- 5:45 p.m. Cost to Employees: Registration fee; 17% tuition reduction Company: Pacific Mutual, Newport Beach Child Care Operator: Step-by-Step & Rainbow Retreat near-site location in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach
Child Age Range: Infant-8 yrs Hours: 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. Cost to Employees: Registration fee and tuition (partially subsidized by company) Company: Pacifica Hospital, Huntington Beach Child Care Operator: Step-by-Step & Rainbow Retreat near-site location in Huntington Beach Child Age Range: Infant-8 yrs Hours: 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. Cost to Employees: Registration fee waived; 25% of tuition paid by company Company: Hughes Aircraft Company, Fullerton Child Care Operator: Step-by-Step & Rainbow Retreat near-site location in Huntington Beach and Anaheim Child Age Range: Infant-8 yrs Hours: 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. Cost to Employees: Registration fee; 10% tuition reduction Another service available to companies interested in including child care assistance in their benefit packages is provided by The Children’s Home Society of California, a private, non-profit agency located in Orange. Called “enhanced resource and referral,” the program teaches employees how to choose quality child care and then helps them locate it, all at no charge to the employee. Here is a list of companies with offices in Orange County that provide this service:
IBM, Costa Mesa; Xerox, Santa Ana; Digital Equipment, Costa Mesa; Allstate, Brea; Merrill Lynch, Newport Beach; American Express, Irvine; Social Security Administration, Santa Ana
* The city of Irvine also offers incentives to developers who include child care facilities in their building plans.
** In addition to City of Irvine employees, this facility is open to anyone who lives and/or works in Irvine.
Source: California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing, The Children’s Home Society of California
