Now in its second year, the University's subsidized care program for family of faculty and staff members has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, according to Drew Murphy, director of benefits for human resources. About 340 — or 7.5 percent — of employees are registered for the program.
Between 18 and 20 employees used subsidized care each month in 2010, purchasing 4,850 total hours of care, including 400 elder care hours, Murphy said. The program is advertised as backup care, to be used in emergencies or while employees are traveling.
The co-pay for backup care is $2 per hour for in-center care and $4 per hour for home care for up to three children, Murphy said.
Work Options Group provided child care when the program began September 2008, but the company was taken over by Bright Horizons Family Solutions January 2009, Murphy said.
The number of faculty and staff members using the program has continued to grow. "I think more and more as the program is used and people hear from their colleagues that it has worked out well, the utilization is growing," Murphy said.
Faculty and staff used backup care during the winter to deal with snow and school cancellations, and usage was "almost 30 percent up in December," he said. The number of backup-care hours used in December increased from 364 hours in 2008 to 473 this year.
Parents are always reluctant to let a stranger care for their children. But, Murphy said,"Bright Horizons has a pretty rigorous screening process."
Erika Edwards, assistant professor of biology, who has used the program multiple times, said many of the providers are registered nurses. "Bright Horizons is basically vouching the caregivers for me," she said.
"You're getting a professional. You're not just getting a babysitter — these are backup care providers," Murphy said. "I guess I look at it as somebody comes up to your house and watches your children for $4 an hour. That's a good deal."
The program saves Edwards "a lot of money," she said.
The program also allows faculty and staff members to come to work when they may not have previously been able to do so, Murphy said. It can be used anywhere in the country.
While traveling, Edwards was able to work in one room and have her son in the next room with a caregiver. She could go back and forth between the rooms to nurse. "That is the ultimate in accommodating a mother's needs," she added.
But "Brown could benefit from a more centralized and heavily subsidized daycare for infants," Edwards said.
The Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center reserves over half of its spots for children of faculty, staff and students, while infants are cared for at the Taft Avenue Daycare Center. "Taft Avenue is not really up to par, and it's not really convenient," Edwards said.
"It's very, very small, so it certainly can't accommodate the needs of the entire university and young kids," said Vazira Zamindar, associate professor of history.
"More child care and affordable child care would be a really good development for Brown," Zamindar said.
— With additional reporting by Shefali Luthra
