Meet Amari. As well as being a parent to a 3-year-old, Amari works full-time in a manufacturing plant with irregular shift hours.

Amari works hard to bring in a secondary source of income alongside their partner, who works as a truck driver.

As determined as Amari is to be a high-performing team member, and someone their manager and colleagues can depend on—they continue to face challenges in the workplace

Can you help support Amari? Hover and click on the illustrations to learn more about Amari’s challenges.

Leadership doesn't value the skills gained as a parent, making growth pathways challenging.

Learn More

Since childcare costs 28% of the household income, tough decisions have to be made.

Learn More

Balancing parenthood and a career poses challenges for workplace engagement.

Learn More

Leadership doesn't value the skills gained as a parent, making growth pathways challenging.

Returning to the workforce after taking a pause to care for their child, Amari’s company saw the pause as a ‘vacation’ and a nice ‘break’ when, in reality, it was some of the most taxing months of their life. Amari gained skills in budgeting, communication, negotiation, time management, and problem-solving—all valuable skills needed in the role at the manufacturing plant. With the pressure to prove their time spent as a full-time caretaker was valuable, Amari is uncertain how to grow in their workplace.

Since childcare costs 28% of the household income, tough decisions have to be made.

Amari and their partner had to make a trade-off in family budgeting so they could pay for their child’s care—they decided not to buy the car they needed. This added an additional hour and a half of commuting time each day for Amari. And, with their local childcare center’s hours already misaligned with the hours of their shifts, this made scheduling even more difficult.

Balancing parenthood and a career poses challenges for workplace engagement.

Amari sometimes struggles to balance parenting and career with the demands of parenthood. When Amari’s child is sick, they must prioritize their child's wellbeing—leading Amari to be less engaged at work or needing to take time off. Without future infrastructure support, Amari might need to quit the role altogether because of the lack of flexibility and support.

How do you want to help?

Click on the solutions you want to implement to see their impact.

✔ Solution Selected

Backup care support

When emergencies arise with children, parents might need to step out of the workforce. Companies can provide support to help workers when things fall through.

The Impact:

Thanks to the company's new partnership with a childcare center, there is employer sponsored backup care options for Amari when last-minute cancellations happen.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC)

Apply for CDCTC funding to help pay for eligible care costs since both parents are employed. Credits can range in qualifying amounts, maxing out at $6,000.

The Impact:

Amari applied for CDCTC funding and saved thousands of dollars on care expenses. Thanks to this tax credit, Amari was able to purchase a car.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Directory of services and Care Advocate

Provide a clear, digestible playbook for families in your geographic regions to find & access care options, highlighting centers, family-based care, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, & Head Start/Early Head start programs. A Care Advocate can be an internal or external contact who helps employees navigate the care landscape and approach the company's benefits.

The Impact:

Thanks to a directory of services in their community, Amari learned about a care option that was within their budget once they applied for a subsidized rate for low-income families.

Jia provided a comprehensive playbook of care resources for employees, which has already helped in recruitment and retention of her workforce.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Family-sustaining wages

Provide sustainable salaries that factor in cost-of-living and the ability for employed parents to raise a family and pay for childcare supports. This ultimately propels parents in the workforce and can boost the economy.

The Impact:

Thanks to increased wages that support a family, Marion can continue working as an early childhood educator and the center can remain a competitive place to work in her community.

After the plant implemented family-sustaining wages for all workers, Amari was able to afford extended day services for their child so they could keep their job at the plant.

Thanks to implementing family-sustaining wages, Jia saw the immediate impact on her staff. People were less worried about missing work or needing to quit. With decreasing the missed workdays, Jia is already seeing the cost of higher wages pay off.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Internal policies that support parents

Ample time-off, like guaranteed sick & vacation days, flexible & predictable scheduling, & emergency days off or PTO for caregiving can all support workers in their ability to maintain their jobs.

The Impact:

The benefits package was built out to include more support for parents. Amari now has more support they can utilize to balance their job and caring responsibilities.

Once the restaurant implemented a more flexible benefits package that supported parents, employees were able to plan ahead, access backup options, and feel more committed to the restaurant, which has increased retention and engagement rates.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Manager & HR training

Managers & hiring representatives have a direct influence on how the workplace responds & celebrates parenthood. Provide training on parental benefits, de-penalizing caregiving or gaps on resumes, highlight skills acquired through caregiving, & train responses to parental needs.

The Impact:

Thanks to the manager training, Amari is supported by their boss when their childcare falls through. Their boss is able to direct Amari to resources for backup care and is prepared to backfill when they need to cancel a shift.

Jia conducted training for her hiring staff and managers to understand the best ways to support parents at work. The staff feedback was positive and now Jia is more confident the restaurant can celebrate and welcome parent employees.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Mentorship program

Joining a mentorship or sponsorship program for parents can help propel them forward in their roles, connect them to other parents, & match them with promotion opportunities.

The Impact:

Participating in a mentorship program connected Amari to other parents who helped navigate the balance of work and home responsibilities. With their support, Amari was able to apply for a new role at the plant that has shifts that better align with caregiving hours.

Jia set up a mentorship program for families that has helped the restaurant workers upskill and find ways to continue developing. This program was featured in the local newspaper and business has never been better as customers want to support local businesses who support their employees.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

On-site childcare

Offering on-site can support the retention, promotion, & inclusion of parents in the workforce. Employers can recoup hard costs through the Employer-Provided Childcare Credit.

The Impact:

Thanks to the subsidized care through the plant, Amari found a reliable, affordable care option that aligns with their shift schedule.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Paid parental leave

The US lags behind in providing paid parental leave so some companies have stepping into ehance their policies to support new parents. The Skimm & Moms First created an initiative to crowd-source the parental leave & child care policies that companies provide.

The Impact:

After paid parental leave was implemented, Amari and other employees felt much more supported by the plant. The leave policy will have direct benefits to the plant on retaining and recruiting staff and it will have immeasurable benefits to employees who will feel more supported during such an important time in life.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Returnship program

As parents transition out of full-time care work & into the workforce, returnship programs are great ways to upskill parents & match them with quality roles.

The Impact:

Coming back into the workforce was much smoother after Amari participated in the manufacturing plant's returnship program. The program helped connect Amari to a plethora of resources and people who could support the new balance between parenthood and the workforce.

Implementing a returnship program has depenalized talent with career breaks on their resume. Jia has tapped into new talent pools and diversified her staff through the program.

See ImpactBack to definition

✔ Solution Selected

Support for parents returning to the workforce

Companies can make the transition back into the workplace easier for parents by providing a range of supports, like flexible schedules, lactation rooms, predictable shifts, working hours during care hours, & more. It's best for companies to understand the needs of their unique workforce.

The Impact:

Amari's company is making an effort to make the transition smoother for parents, which has helped Amari with planning. With more predictable shift scheduling, Amari is able to plan ahead & find backup care options when needed.

The restaurant implemented a slow ramp up to return to work after caregiving, allowing parents and caregivers flexibility and options when they start working at the restaurant again. Thanks to this policy, the restaurant has already increased their brand and recruitment has never been easier.

See ImpactBack to definition

Thank you for supporting Amari's childcare journey!

Now let's encourage others. Share this site to increase your impact.

Explore Other Scenarios

Jia

General manager of a restaurant

Marion

Owner of a childcare center

Continue helping

Amari

The Big Picture

Understand the business case for childcare

Solutions

Childcare supports for every employer

Home

Big Picture

Interactive Stories

Solutions

Share

Inspired to join us?

Meet Amari. As well as being a parent to a 3-year-old, Amari works full-time in a manufacturing plant with irregular shift hours.

As determined as Amari is to be a high-performing team member, and someone their manager and colleagues can depend on—they continue to face challenges in the workplace

Leadership doesn't value the skills gained as a parent, making growth pathways challenging.

Since childcare costs 28% of the household income, tough decisions have to be made.

Balancing parenthood and a career poses challenges for workplace engagement.

Leadership doesn't value the skills gained as a parent, making growth pathways challenging.

Since childcare costs 28% of the household income, tough decisions have to be made.

Balancing parenthood and a career poses challenges for workplace engagement.

How do you want to help?

Thank you for supporting Amari's childcare journey!

Now let's encourage others. Share this site to increase your impact.

Explore Other Scenarios

Jia

Marion

Continue helping

Amari

The Big Picture

Solutions

Inspired to join us?