Ease at Work: Employee Assistance and Management Solutions » parenting school-agers http://www.easeatwork.com Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:22:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 EAP Childcare Services: Beyond Resource and Referral http://www.easeatwork.com/eap-childcare-services-beyond-resource-and-referral/ http://www.easeatwork.com/eap-childcare-services-beyond-resource-and-referral/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:30:21 +0000 Ease http://ease.dev.insivia.com/?p=272 Green Apple on Books
Childcare resource and referral is essential to an integrated employee assistance program (EAP). In fact, Research by Childstats.gov, a forum on child and family statistics, indicates that less than 5 percent of working mothers were the primary caregiver for children ages 0-4 in 2006. That means that the other 95 percent were receiving care from other sources. Needless-to-say, childcare concerns can have a big impact on workplace productivity if the parent/guardian does not make adequate arrangements for the care of their children.
 
Many EAPs offer some form of childcare resource and referral. Most of the time, that benefit exists as a self-search database and is limited to locating care options. 
Typically, a database can help parents/guardians with an independent search for the type of care they’re looking for – such as daycare centers, home care providers, before/after school care etc. The database provides an easy search option based on the criteria entered by the parent/guardian. The search used by Ease@Work also includes options for criteria such as distance from home/work, whether or not the provider accepts childcare assistance vouchers, if the provider provides lunch/snacks, any requested safety certifications (CPR) and much more.

But sometimes a parent/guardian needs more than a database seach for their childcare questions. That’s when childcare specialists can be helpful in assisting with child-related issues and parenting questions…questions about how to handle temper tantrums, poor sleep habits, toliet training etc. Questions that can’t be answered by a database. This is where the typical EAP falls short in terms of childcare services. Most don’t offer consultation with a childcare specialist who will take the time to discuss a parent’s concerns and offer education and suggestions addressing those issues.

The Ease@Work Childcare Resource and Referral Program has featured a staff of childcare specialists for decades.  Originally known as “Corporate Childcare”, it was an independent program of the Center for Families and Children until it was merged with the EAP and became Ease@Work.  And now, Ease has taken dependent care services a step further by adding Class Act School Age Services as an EAP benefit, helping parents/guardians who have moved beyond the baby and toddler years and into the more challenging school-age years.

“The Class Act School Age Services program was developed in order to provide EAP assistance to parents who need help beyond childcare resources, ” said Linda Hazen, Ease@Work childcare consultant. “Class Act focuses on the educational aspects of parenting a child from Kindergarten through 12th grade.”

Expert Guidance for Parents/Guardians

We know that although school is a routine part of growing up, it can also be a great source of stress for the whole family. And, we know that a lot of stress, worry and absenteeism can be decreased, or even prevented all together, if parents prepare themselves and their children for the various challenges encountered during the school age years.

Class Act helps address many of the common concerns parents have on a variety of school-related matters. Investigating school options, addressing academic or behavior concerns, or helping your child achieve in school is easy with help from someone who is familiar with the education system.

Guidance is available for parents of school-agers in a wide variety of subject areas, including the following:

General Education Services

  • Public/Private School Options
  • Alternative School Options
  • Homework Assistance
  • Tutoring Services
  • Parent Coaching
  • Parent/Teacher Conferences
  • Home/School Relationships

Special Education

  • Intervention Plans
  • Behavior Plans
  • Education Plans
  • Document Review
  • Parent/Student Advocacy
  • Special Education Law
  • Community Support Resources

Look to your EAP for dependent care services, including assistance with childcare issues and school-age consultations. It’s just another way organizations can help their workforce improve work-life balance and become more productive while on the job.

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