Latest news with #BrightHorizons
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Care home in Gordon Avenue, Camberley, to be replaced by nursery
Plans to create an 88-place nursery in Surrey with four car parking spaces were approved - despite only four of 11 councillors voting for Bright Horizons wants to replace a 10-person care home in Gordon Avenue, Camberley, with a nursery for 35 toddlers, 32 pre-schoolers and 21 plans were approved by Surrey Heath Borough Council's planning committee on June 5, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting less than half of councillors voted in favour, the committee passed the proposal because a ruling by the council's environmental health officer meant they would be unable to defend any refusal in the future. This officer raised no objections and expressed a belief that any noise would have a "negligible impact", the meeting proposal, which received 58 letters of objection, was reported to the committee by councillor Lisa Finan-Cooke as residents' fears began to pile concern was that the four parking spaces included in the plans would create gridlock on the small roads leading up to the site. Another was that the proposal would change the site's character from a sleepy residential home to a noisy nursery. It was claimed that the change in site would result in a 316% increase in trips relative to the existing David Webb said: "Four parking spaces, one is a disabled bar and one even but none are available for the 22 staff."The idea that four families will arrive every 15 minutes sounds organised in theory but in practice parents will arrive early, leave late, or overlap, especially with children."Councillor Victoria Wheeler added: "The noise that a child makes is a little bit like an aircraft going over, it's a sudden and quiet piercing noise."The meeting heard that the care home had not been operating at capacity, and that a tender process to find a new adult care provider proved plans were given the go-ahead by four votes in favour, three against and four abstentions.
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Summer kicks off with a new corporate perk aimed to ease employees' stress
Summer kicks off with a new corporate perk aimed to ease employees' stress Companies looking to ease employees' stress over the summer are offering a new perk -- discounted summer camp and childcare. Show Caption Hide Caption More men are becoming family caregivers Men face a unique set of challenges when it comes to stepping into the role of a caregiver. Kids might be excited about the end of the school year and for summer to begin, but many working parents who don't know how to fill their kids' long summer days may be feeling some dread right about now. AT&T is trying to change that. The third largest U.S. wireless carrier is launching an onsite summer camp at its Dallas, Texas, headquarters in June to give its employees more convenient options for reliable childcare during the school break. Childcare outranked any other perk including mental health support, paid maternity/paternity leave and tuition reimbursements as a benefit employers aimed to offer their workers last year, according to a survey of corporate-suite and human resource leaders. One in 5 employees said they had left a job because their employer didn't provide family care benefits, and a lack of childcare benefits topped the list of reasons they sought another job. 'The summer camp was in response to specific asks and pain points our employees had,' said Matt Phillips, AT&T assistant vice president of benefits. But childcare isn't the only caregiving people ask for nowadays, he said. People want help caring for every important person, or sometimes pet, in their lives, he said. What's different about summer? 'When planning vacations and summer activities, there may be days sporadically that fall throughout the summer when people need some childcare,' Phillips said. To help ease worries of what to do with kids on those days, AT&T employees can register their children ages 4-12 for the 10-week onsite camp that runs weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Families have the flexibility to book one or multiple days whenever they'd like throughout the summer. There's no weekly sessions or commitments required. If employees use their backup care benefits, a day of camp would cost $15 for one child or $25 for two or more children. AT&T backup care allow workers up to 10 days of subsidized childcare if their primary care option is unavailable, and they can't take time off. They can choose center care for $15 per day or in-home care with a Bright Horizons caregiver for $4 an hour. Bright Horizons runs childcare centers and early education services nationwide. Additional days of summer camp can be bought at a discounted rate. Tell us: The caregiving crisis is real. USA TODAY wants to hear from you about how to solve it. What are other types of caregiving? Caregiving has typically meant childcare, but the COVID-19 pandemic, an aging population and rising costs have expanded the definition to include siblings, parents, grandparents and even pets. Gen Z through Gen X and even some of the youngest members of the Baby Boomers who expect to retire soon are demanding personalized benefits beyond retirement funds, salary and vacation days. Job seekers, even those fresh out of school, now have a 'holistic outlook,' said Blayre Riley, 22. 'We're not just looking at salary.' Riley doesn't have kids, but she has a 6-year-old kid brother. Her job benefits allow her to use so-called caregiver days, which are paid hours she can use to take care of a sick friend, relative or other loved one or take them to appointments, for example. With these benefits, if her little brother 'has a class party, I can go in the morning and come back to work in the afternoon, and it doesn't feel like a burden to my team,' Riley said. 'Or if he has a day off school and my parents work, I can spend time with him.' 'My dad always talks about when I was younger, his job didn't have this flexibility and when my mom was sick, he couldn't take her to doctor's appointments,' she added. 'Now, my job has it, and it can exist for everyone.' Education help: College applications are stressful. Here's how more companies are helping. New perks: Some workers are job hopping for fertility benefits. Employers are trying to keep up. What's at stake? The lack of available childcare alone costs the economy $122 billion every year, according to a 2023 study from the bipartisan Council for a Strong America. Yet, just 12% of all U.S. workers have access to childcare benefits through their employer, and only 6% of those who work part-time or in the lowest income quartile do, according to a Boston Consulting Group study published last year. Family caregivers ages 50 and older who leave the workforce to care for a parent lost $303,880, on average, in income and benefits over a caregiver's lifetime, according to a 2016 Families Caring for an Aging America study. The breakdown was as follows: $115,900 in lost wages, $137,980 in lost Social Security benefits, and conservatively $50,000 in lost pension benefits. Still, only 13% of companies offer eldercare referral services, and just 1% of companies offer employees subsidies for eldercare, according to SHRM's 2024 Employee Benefits Survey. Lack of support leads to caregiver burnout. Half of caregivers said caregiving increased their level of emotional stress, while 37% said it impacted their physical feelings of stress according to a 2023 AARP survey. What can companies do? Companies 'must address new needs, particularly around things like caregiving benefits, absence and leave benefits, and wellness benefits in all forms, as well as personalizing/customizing benefits to keep their workers happy,' said Bryan Hodgens, head of research at Life Insurance Management Research Association, or LIMRA, in a report. Comprehensive caregiving benefits like flexible work arrangements, paid leave, financial support, and access to education, consultations, resources, and digital caregiving platforms can improve workers' wellbeing and boost businesses. BCG found that childcare benefits alone deliver returns of up to 425% of their cost for companies across the U.S. Aside from caregiving, it's imperative companies also offer employees opportunities for self-care. Healthier habits help keep healthcare costs down for both employees and employers. AT&T, for example, offers a Wellbeing Choice Account to reward employees for healthy habits. Employees and their partners or spouses can each earn up to $750 annually for completing wellness activities like getting their annual physical. They can then use that money to go towards fitness classes, an exercise bike, student loan repayment, massages and facials, and healthy meal kits. 'It's like free money because you're getting paid to do things you should be doing anyway,' said Ryan Stafford, an AT&T employee who used his rewards to buy a nicer bike than he would have been able to afford. 'l had no guilt spending a little more,' he said. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.
Forbes
06-06-2025
- General
- Forbes
5 Survival Tips For Working Moms With Kids Home This Summer
You're on a critical Zoom call when your eight-year-old bursts through the door asking for the third snack in an hour, while your toddler decides this is the perfect moment to have a meltdown. Meanwhile, your inbox is overflowing, deadlines are looming and you're mentally calculating how much food is left in the fridge. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. This is the reality for working moms everywhere during summer break. Parental obligations become even more intense when school's out, with research showing that working moms spend nearly nine additional hours per week on childcare during summer. In addition, 76% of working parents report that their children's summer schedules directly impact their ability to focus at work, according to new research from the Modern Family Index (MFI), commissioned by Bright Horizons. That's why a strategic approach is necessary to help working moms maintain their sanity and sense of humor during the chaos of summer. By implementing these approaches, you'll transform from a frazzled working mother into a highly productive individual. Release yourself from the perfectionist trap and set realistic expectations: Creating some semblance of routine can be a lifesaver for working moms, but build in flexibility from the start: The holy grail of summer survival for working moms is finding activities that keep children happily occupied without constant parental involvement. These "time givers" should be deployed strategically during your most important work periods: One of the biggest mistakes working moms make is trying to handle summer by themselves. Attempting to do everything alone kills productivity, while accepting help actually makes you more effective: Working moms running on empty can't maintain productivity or effectively support their families: Remember that working moms everywhere face these same challenges. According to the Bright Horizons research, 87% of working parents experience disruptions while their children are home during summer. Your struggles are understandable, your feelings are valid and your efforts are more than enough. Most importantly, the memories you're creating will matter more than the work emails that went unanswered or the meetings that were interrupted. You've got this.
Business Wire
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
New Research Reveals Summer is a Break for Everyone but Parents
NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For many parents, summer is anything but a vacation. According to new research from the Modern Family Index (MFI), commissioned by Bright Horizons (NYSE:BFAM) and conducted by The Harris Poll, 68% of parents agree that sometimes summer feels like a break for everyone but themselves—and this is particularly challenging for working parents— with 76% saying the level of focus they have at work during the summer is directly tied to the reliability of their children's summer schedules. 68% of parents agree that sometimes summer feels like a break for everyone but themselves—and this is particularly challenging for working parents. Share As working parents try to juggle professional responsibilities with increased family demands, their level of focus and productivity tends to suffer during the summer months, with 87% reporting that they experience challenges or disruptions while their children are home in the summer. The survey results found: One in three said they need to step away at points during the day to check on/take care of their kids or have to leave work early more often to pick them up from activities. One in three reported worrying about what their children are doing at home while they are working and were distracted from work thinking about their children's schedules. More than one in three said available activities/care not lining up with their work schedule is a challenge when arranging their children's schedules during the summer. Support For Working Parents To alleviate the burden and provide more peace of mind, many working parents are looking to their employers for additional support. More than three-quarters of working parents (76%) say they wish their employer offered more supports to help them arrange a reliable summer schedule for their children. 'Today's working parents aren't afraid to speak up and ask for what they need,' commented Stephen Kramer, CEO of Bright Horizons. 'When employers offer meaningful supports that help working parents—whether by providing access to childcare, back-up care, camp resources, or other benefits—they're not only relieving pressure on parents, but are fostering a more engaged, loyal, and productive workforce.' About the Bright Horizons Modern Family Index Over the past decade, Bright Horizons has tracked trends impacting working families through its annual Modern Family Index (MFI), highlighting the unique challenges and priorities they've faced. In 2025, the report has been refreshed and will encompass several waves of survey data focused on timely topics to be released throughout the year. To download Wave Two of the 2025 Bright Horizons Modern Family Index, click here. Research Method The research was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll between April 24-28, 2025, among 2,083 adults ages 18 and older – among whom 634 are a parent or guardian of child(ren) under 18 years of age ('parents') and 500 are a parent or guardian of child(ren) under 18 years of age who are employed full or part-time. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, region, race/ethnicity, household income, education, marital status, size of household, and political party affiliation to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents are selected among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. The sample data is accurate to within ± 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. About Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. Bright Horizons ® is a leading global provider of high-quality early education and childcare, back-up care, and workforce education services. For more than 35 years, we have partnered with employers to support workforces by providing services that help working families and employees thrive personally and professionally. Bright Horizons operates more than 1,000 early education and childcare centers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, and India, and serves more than 1,450 of the world's leading employers. Bright Horizons' early education and childcare centers, back-up child and elder care, and workforce education programs help employees succeed at each life and career stage. For more information, go to
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
This Aberdeen nursery has just been named one of the top nurseries in Scotland for a FIFTH year in a row
Bright Horizons is proud to announce that 44 St Swithin Day Nursery and Preschool in Aberdeen has once again been recognised as one of the Top 20 Nurseries in Scotland by for 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year the nursery has received this honour, based on glowing and honest reviews from families. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... This fantastic accolade builds on the nursery's recent 'Very Good' rating from the Care Inspectorate and reinforces its strong reputation for delivering high-quality early years care and education. Nursery Manager Kenzie said: "We're over the moon to be named one of the top nurseries in Scotland, it really means so much to us! What's even more special is that it's based on the feedback of our very own families! We work hard to create a caring and welcoming space, so to know that's how our families feel too is just lovely!" Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Day Nursery Award Badge At the heart of 44 St Swithin's success is Bright Horizons' nurture approach, which places strong relationships, emotional wellbeing, and child-led learning at the centre of everything. The team is committed to creating a calm, responsive, and inspiring environment where children feel secure, confident, and curious to explore the world around them. This recognition reflects the nursery's role in the Aberdeen community, offering local families not just a place for childcare, but a trusted, supportive space that champions each child's development and happiness. The annual Top 20 Nursery Awards recognise 20 of the top-rated nurseries in each region of the UK and the Top 20-day nursery groups in the UK based on reviews from parents and/or individuals responsible for a child. The awards are based on the individual and group review score, as of March 31st, 2025.
