Does Your Business or Employer Have Family Friendly Policies?

Foundation First wants to find out how to help business implement such policies.

By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Email Adele

Businesses of all sizes in the Fredericksburg area, as well as employees, are invited to fill out a survey that seeks to gather data about what family-friendly policies and childcare support are available in local workplaces and how more can be implemented.

Foundation First, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting early childhood educators, programs, and families, launched the survey this month as part of a goal to establish a “family friendly workplace” certification.

The survey is designed to find out:

• what forms of childcare assistance companies currently offer, if any

• what other family-related benefits, such as flexible working arrangements and parental leave, are offered

• how important employees consider childcare support

• the likelihood of implementing or expanding childcare support in the workplace in the next 12 months

• what are the challenges businesses face in providing comprehensive childcare assistance

• how offering childcare support impacts employee performance, retention, and overall satisfaction

“As we move forward in an evolving workforce landscape, it is imperative that we listen to the needs of our employees, especially those balancing work and family life,” said Gina Davis, executive director of Foundation First. “The 2024 Workforce and Childcare Survey provides a unique opportunity for organizations to assess their current childcare support offerings and explore new ways to create an equitable and supportive work environment.”

In an interview, Davis said that, “Once we understand what employers are currently doing or might be interested in doing, we can figure out how to partner with different businesses to implement new policies.”

Family-friendly policies can be as simple as providing flex time or hybrid work options or as cost-free as establishing an agreement with a nearby childcare provider to prioritize the children of employees, Davis said.

“The biggest thing is, I need people to fill this out,” Davis said. “I can’t do anything if I don’t have a database to work on.”

Foundation First hopes the data will lead to the implementation of a statewide program such as Family Forward NC, which has been in place for about five years and in which businesses can become certified “Family Forward” employers.

The program is employer-led, as is Florida’s Bosses for Babies.

“When working parents are supported, employers reap the benefits of increased loyalty and productivity and decreased turnover costs,” the Bosses for Babies website states. “They can attract and retain the best talent and see the results in the bottom line.”

The information gathered during the survey will help put together a similar program for Virginia, Davis said.

Businesses and employees in the cities of Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park, and the counties of Culpeper, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, King George, and Caroline are invited to take the survey, which is available here.

Local Obituaries

To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit the link that follows.

Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism

The FXBG Advance cuts through the talking points to deliver both incisive and informative news about the issues, people, and organizations that daily affect your life. And we do it in a multi-partisan format that has no equal in this region. Over the past year, our reporting was:

• First to report on a Spotsylvania School teacher arrested for bringing drugs onto campus.

• First to report on new facility fees leveled by MWHC on patient bills.

• First to detail controversial traffic numbers submitted by Stafford staff on the Buc-ee’s project

• Provided extensive coverage of the cellphone bans that are sweeping local school districts.

• And so much more, like Clay Jones, Drew Gallagher, Hank Silverberg, and more.

For just $8 a month, you can help support top-flight journalism that puts people over policies.

Your contributions 100% support our journalists.

Help us as we continue to grow!