Iowa State University (ISU) reached a unique milestone when it celebrated the 100-year anniversary of its Child Development Laboratory School, its earliest venture into on-site child care. Multiple initiatives followed, including a preschool opened in 1960, and a partnership with Bright Horizons which has managed the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine child care center since 1996.
ISU’s foresight in caring for the children of working and student parents has well-positioned it to recruit and retain faculty, staff, and students. This support is crucial since Iowa is a child care desert. Lack of child care costs the state $935 million annually in revenue, employee absences, and turnover.
“Our goal is to foster an inclusive, flexible, and supportive culture,” says Kristi Darr, vice president of human resources at ISU.
“Some of ISU’s recruitment challenges are its location. Being in a mid-sized town in the Midwest, we can sometimes be overlooked. But it’s a wonderful place to live and raise a family. The center helps us sell that,“ says Darr. “It’s NAEYC accredited, ensuring a high standard of care and a high-quality curriculum and activities that meet the expectations of ISU’s faculty, staff, and students.”
“Offering reliable child care is a win-win. It helps faculty, staff, and students solve a real pain point so they can come to work and school and be their best. Having reliable, best-in-class care for their children helps minimize their stress and enhances their productivity and wellbeing,” says Darr.
Child care helps address recruitment challenges
With the largest body of workers – Boomers – aging into retirement, the university faces tough recruitment challenges: a shrinking Iowa workforce, increased competition from other top-tier R1 research institutions for faculty and students, and finding ways to bring working parents, especially women, back to work. Women represent 50 percent of ISU’s workforce. While college enrollment has been declining, women generally outnumber male enrollees in higher ed. At ISU, women make up 45 percent of undergraduates, 83 percent of vet med enrollees, and 45 percent of graduate students.
A KPMG study showed that women in their prime working years (25-34 and 35-44) are disproportionately affected by inadequate child care options; women comprised 77% of full-time workers who missed work due to child care problems.
Child care supports career growth and wellbeing
During her 17 years at the university, Darr herself benefited from enrolling her twins at the on-site child care center run by Bright Horizons. “The staff there provided the child care support I needed as a working mom, even going the extra mile to help with my daughter's asthma treatments,” says Darr. “The peace of mind provided by Bright Horizons was crucial for my career trajectory and ability to lead at the university.”
“Many new hire faculty have children at the Bright Horizons center or are planning to enroll their children,” says Laura Van Vertloo, an assistant professor at ISU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “ISU offers flexible policies and programs for parents. It’s important to offer a supportive environment that allows working parents to balance their careers and family life.”
On-site child care offers convenience
Child care resources in and around Ames, where the university is located, represent a significant challenge, with limited seats and lack of flexibility in terms of support hours, according to Darr.
The Bright Horizons on-site center’s extended hours and its proximity solve these problems. Amam Ilogebe, an ISU graduate student notes, “The center is very close to campus. It’s easy to drop off my son early and get to class. My son loves going to the center. Even if he’s grumpy, he lights up when he sees his teacher. And the hours of operation allow me to get a lot done in terms of academics and work on campus. The proximity means I can easily pick up my son at the end of the day."
Child care helps to recruit and retain
Jamie Kopper, an equine veterinarian at ISU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, often points to the nearby Bright Horizons child care center, when interviewing candidates. “The on-site center is pivotal for working families at ISU, including students and faculty. I always tell new recruits about it,” she says.
Jamie and her husband, a large animal surgeon at the facility, believe that the child care center’s role in their lives is so significant that it would be a major factor in their decision to ever leave ISU. “The extended hours and the proximity have been crucial for me and my husband to balance our work and family life,” says Jamie. “It would have been a challenge to find child care that fits our unpredictable work schedules and that provides the quality of care that the Bright Horizons center offers.”
“We enrolled our daughter at the center at 12 weeks, starting with short days to ease her in. As new parents, we relied heavily on the center’s staff for advice and reassurance. Being near allowed me to visit during the day. While it was new to us and her, our daughter never cried during drop-offs. That’s a testament to the quality of care the staff there provides.”
A commitment to care and supporting families
Kristi Darr sees a big picture benefit to ISU’s commitment to child care and to its partnership with Bright Horizons: “Child care is a significant challenge for balancing work and education, family responsibilities, and all that's expected of you as a university employee or student. We can really see how our cooperation and partnership with Bright Horizons not only helps our campus community grow and excel, it also helps families to have a peace of mind.”
Learn more about the benefits of accessible, affordable, and high-quality child care for your organization.
