A movement to provide care for children and the elderly of employees is opening up new opportunities for child care services. The logic is simple: helping your employees take care of their children and parents can help them be more productive, more loyal and less stressed. Companies such as Bright Horizons Family Solutions are rushing to fill this niche by enabling working parents to bring their child to a convenient, high-quality child care center, or have a care provider go to the home for either child or elder care, either of which enables the parent to concentrate on working because they know their loved ones are being taken care of. Back-up care isn't a permanent solution, but is a stop-gap provided by the employer so when an emergency arises - school is closed, a caretaker is sick, or there are breakdowns with other child or elder care arrangements - parents don't have to take the day off of work. Studies have shown U.S. businesses lose $3 billion in productivity each year when employees miss work due to breakdowns in child care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says child care worker jobs are expected to rise faster than average through 2016, with almost a quarter-million new jobs created over that time.  |