Some Metro employers help desperate parents

That’s where her two children, Duane, 4, and Danee, 7, do their homework, watch television and make cards or paper crowns for McCullough and her co-workers at LaMont Title Corp. in downtown Detroit.

It’s free, safe and the main reason McCullough, a special projects coordinator, says she loves her job. "It’s called job security," she said. "It would take a lot of money to make me quit."

After-school care is a dilemma for most working parents with young, school-age children. While some companies such as LaMont Title Corp. are responding to the need, many more are not. Less than 5 percent of U.S. companies offer before- or after-school care, according to a 2003 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. Some businesses are reluctant to offer child care, citing costs and liabilities.

That could change in the coming years with a growing push by children’s advocates for on-site after-school programs at businesses in Metro Detroit and nationwide. They argue that on-site child care is not only family friendly, but also makes business sense because it cuts down on absenteeism and improves productivity of workers who no longer have to fret about what’s happening with their kids after school lets out.

A handful of Metro Detroit businesses have started opening their doors to employees’ children, giving them a place to play and study. Some provide workers with off-site programs or discounts on after-school care.

Examples range from organized programs to informal kid-friendly office policies:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has an employer-sponsored day care that includes programming for school-age children through 6:15 p.m. daily, said company spokeswoman Cheryl McDonald.

UAW-represented DaimlerChrysler AG employees can enroll their children in free after-school programs through Communities in Schools, a nonprofit group that promotes community involvement in the safety and education of children. The programs operate every school day through 6 p.m.

Valassis Communications Inc.’s Livonia office features a family room for kids, complete with a television, board games, couch and computer. Children can hang out or sit with their parent until it’s time to go home, said company spokeswoman Tamara Oliverio.

Compuware Corp. in Detroit is considering adding programs for school-age kids at its Child Development Center, which now serves children from infancy through kindergarten.

"If we determine enough interest is there, we hope to have a program under way by winter break this year," Compuware spokesman Doug Kuiper said.

Experts estimate the gap between a child’s school week and a parent’s workweek may be as much as 25 hours. Nationwide, between 2 million and 6 million children under the age of 13 regularly care for themselves, and 44 percent of families do not have any regular after-school care for their children, according to the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy group in Washington, D.C.

"Three-quarters of women with school-age children are now in the workforce," said Judy Samelson, the group’s executive director. "The demand is there."

Transportation challenges and high costs are among the top reasons workers and employers say they leave after-school care to families, schools, churches and day care companies. An on-site child-care facility can cost a company $1 million to $3 million to open and operate, and picking up a child from school can stretch the average workday by an hour or more.

At LaMont Title, long, stressful workdays are the norm, especially in this busy real estate market, said company President Cathy LaMont. So when she and husband Michael Donovan opened the business in 2002, they decided to open the office to children, as well.

Parents take turns acting as the office shuttle, picking up kids after school. At least two or three typically end up in the office’s cafeteria, or what Donovan jokingly refers to as the "detention center."

The staff keeps a collective eye on the kids, making their cubicals something like old-fashioned neighborhoods, said Michelle Gilbert, whose 11-year-old son, Kenyatta, is the resident artist.

Marichona Davis said her 9-year-old son, Marcel, looks at his office stays as a daily field trip.

"If more companies did this, they’d get more from their employees. They’d definitely be more appreciated," Davis said.

Despite some inroads, the majority of parents scramble to find affordable after-school options without their employer’s support, said Donna Klein, president and CEO of Corporate Voices for Working Families, whose membership includes Fortune 500 companies.

The Washington, D.C., group is organizing business forums later this year, seeking more after-school alliances among schools, local government and employers.

"Parents tend to have a patchwork system of care," Klein said. "The impact on businesses is clear around 3 p.m., when workers’ level of engagement drops because they’re worried about their kids arriving safe at home."

You can reach Karen Dybis at (313) 222-2319 or kdybis@detnews.com.