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Dependent
Care (Adult and Child)
Approximately
300,000 Federal employees have children of pre-school age. At
least an equal number of Federal employees are estimated to have
concerns about their elderly parents and relatives.
Child Care:
Today, more than 11.3 million children under 6 years of age have
parents who secure out-of-home care for most of these children.
By 2000, an estimated 93 percent of the work force will be made
up of working parents. Looking at these statistics, it is easy
to see that the primary issue facing today's young families is
child care. Young children require year-round, 24-hour care. Children
get sick. Day care providers get sick, have emergencies, or resign.
School is over at 3 p.m. Schools recess for holidays and summer
vacations. The accessibility and availability of quality child
care on an ongoing or interim basis, both today and in the foreseeable
future, is an issue that affects virtually every working parent.
To the extent that these working parents are limited in their
flexibility to respond to this issue, most of them will carry
their unresolved concerns into the workplace.
Elder Care:
Meeting responsibilities in caring for an elderly person can be
time-consuming and difficult. Needs arise with little or no warning.
In some cases this means finding someone to care for an elderly
person while the caregiver is at work. In other cases, hospitalization
or nursing care may be necessary. Often elderly parents live far
away and resist their children's efforts to intervene in their
care or living arrangement, making the task of finding services
even more difficult and frustrating. (Note: The Eldercare Locator
was established to help families and friends find information
about community services for aged persons anywhere in the United
States and its territories. The nationwide service is a collaborative
project of the U.S. Administration on Aging, the National Association
of Area Agencies on Aging, and the National Association of State
Units on Aging. The toll free number is 1-800-677-1116.)
As the population
ages and chronic, disabling conditions become more common, many
more families will have caregiving responsibility for aged relatives.
In addition, since many have delayed childbirth, more workers
will find themselves "sandwiched" between child care and elder
care. How we deal with the needs of our workforce may determine
how successful USDA will be in accomplishing its mission. Given
the distraction that concern about child care and/or elder care
can have on an individual's ability to concentrate on work responsibilities,
both employees and managers can benefit from organizations providing
some assistance to employees in the area of child and elder care.
For employees
faced with the challenge of balancing the competing demands of
family, personal, and work life, there are flexibilities available
to help them meet the challenge. However, selection among these
flexible work arrangements may be dependent on: 1) an organization's
ability to commit resources to providing such assistance; and
2) the scope of the problem for employees within the organization.
USDA offers a number of services that may assist managers, supervisors,
and employees address these concerns. All employees may explore
these services in greater depth through contact with the WFL Coordinator.
A.
Agency Sponsored Child Care Centers (CCC) (Field)
Providing
on-site or near-site child care represents a major commitment
of resources on the part of an organization and may not be a desirable
option for all components. Factors such as facility location,
employee population, or budgets might prevent organizations from
undertaking such a project. If an organization believes its employees'
needs to be great enough, it may consider underwriting a center
for the exclusive use of its employees, entering into a cooperative
agreement with other public organizations in its area to develop
a consortium, or purchasing spaces for employees in existing public
centers. (GSA may be contacted for more detailed information.)
Several USDA agencies have established or co-established CCCs
throughout the Nation. Some of these field locations include:
Forest Service in Portland, Oregon; National Computer Center in
Kansas City, Missouri; National Finance Center in New Orleans,
Louisiana; and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Ames,
Iowa. The Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland,
however, has provided child care services longer than any other
agency---over 20 years.
B. USDA
Child Development Center (Headquarters)
Because of
the number of employees headquartered in Washington, D.C., USDA
believed that on-site child care might be a worthwhile investment,
benefiting both the organization and employees. Therefore, it
began a process to determine the feasibility of such a program.
In 1989,
USDA conducted a needs assessment survey of its employees in the
Washington Metropolitan Area. Based on findings of that survey,
USDA concluded that there was a definite need for and employee
interest in a USDA sponsored CCC. Support for such a facility
crossed all mission areas and agencies.
In May 1991,
2 1/2 years after the process began, the USDA Child Development
Center (Center) opened its doors to children. Located in the Auditors
Building, the Center is operated by La Petite Academy under a
contract administered by the Office of Operations. The Center
accommodates 88 children, ranging from 6 weeks to 6 years old,
on a full-time basis. Currently, 66 children are enrolled in the
Center.
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