Companies struggle to accommodate workers with young children. The two parties often have difficulties understanding the needs of one another. For some time, Joan Goodman , professor of education at Penn's Graduate School of Education , has been concerned with the fate of young children as increasing numbers of working single parents and couples struggle with the limited child-care options available. There had to be better solutions, she believed, for families and businesses to resolve their common problems so that parents could invest fully in their work lives, while knowing that their children were receiving good care. With all the changes in the work force, we need to be sure that children are not left behind.
Day care is limited and often of questionable quality.
Government is cutting back its support, so we have to look to the private world for help. And at Penn, we've got Wharton. An old business axiom states that a happy worker is a productive worker, Dr. Goodman pointed out, but today it is particularly difficult for an unhappy parent to be a productive worker. Hence, the need for programs such as day care, flextime, job-sharing and maternity leave. And, as the need for day care continues to strain the resources of working families, corporations interested in work and family issues will need to seek creative and cost-effective ways to support their employees.