Finding Safe, Reliable, Quality Child Care
Employers can help employees find quality, affordable child care
Looking for child care can be stressful for parents. Knowing what to ask, what to look for, who to trust, and how to compare options is hard. There are so many different child care options, looking for child care can easily turn into an overwhelming and confusing experience for parents.
- Employers can help by:
- Referring employees to their local Early Learning Coalition for assistance in looking for child care. Child Care Resource and Referral Services specialists will help families to find child care or learn about other programs that are available like Florida’s free Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program for 4 year-old children. Families can conduct an online search for child care by inserting their zip code in the search field. The Division of Early Learning has posted a video for parents who are looking for child care along with several checklists and key questions to ask that may be helpful.
- Posting signs or flyers with links to the Early Learning Coalition locator web page or inserting links to the Early Learning Coalitions in company newsletters or employee newsletter blasts.
- Reducing parent stress over child care. Do families need help finding child care for a special needs child? Do they need child care during non-traditional hours (like evenings or weekends)? Are parents looking for a Pre-K program, summer camp or, after-school program? The Early Learning Coalitions can help. They know all the options. They can work with families to help parents make informed decisions. The Division of Early Learning has a web page full of resources to help parents to evaluate child care options.
- Assisting new hires and employees who are relocating with child care information. If your business has a new hire packet, include a flyer about the Early Learning Coalitions to assist new employees in finding child care. If your business has families who are relocating, you can work with the Early Learning Coalition Child Care Resource and Referral specialists to offer employees assistance in finding child care. Moving can be stressful enough, let CCR&R staff help your employees to find child care that best meets their needs. The Division of Early Learning’s Parent Information web page may be helpful as well.
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How can employers more directly support employee child care needs?
- There is a federal tax credit for businesses that contract with Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies to assist their employees with finding child care. Employers can receive a tax credit of up to 10 percent of expenses for CCR&R services.
- There is a federal tax credit for businesses that provide child care on-site or that subsidize the cost of child care for their employees in licensed child care programs (centers and family child care homes) within communities. Employers can receive a tax credit of 25 percent of qualified expenses for an employee child care program.
- Employers can set up Dependent Care Assistance Plans (DCAPs) where employees can set aside up to $5,000 in pre-tax salary for dependent care expenses, money used to reimburse employees for child care expenses.
Child Care SubsidiesFor low-income families, the School Readiness Program (which provides child care subsidies) is available based on family income. To find out more about the School Readiness Program, contact your Early Learning Coalition.
Resource Corner
- Employer Tax Incentives for Child Care Summary
- Employee Tax Incentives for Child Care Summary
- Quality Checklist for Evaluating Child Care Programs
- Early Learning Coalition Locator
- School Readiness Program (child care subsidy for low income parents)
- The Business Case for Early Education Investments (One Pager)
