Challenges

Access, Worker Issues

Location

Georgia

Stakeholders

Businesses

Beneficiaries

Children, Parents, Frontline Workers

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Overview

Georgia Power, an electric utility with approximately 7,000 employees, operates two on-site childcare centers to support employees who work non-traditional hours in the field.

Key Impact Metrics

  • 2
    on-site childcare centers in 2 locations
  • 15
    hours a day: childcare facility’s operating hours
  • 200
    childcare slots created

Problem

Georgia Power’s on-site childcare centers were created to address the demanding and unpredictable work schedules of its employees, particularly the electrical workers. These employees need to be on-call 24/7 to respond to power outages and other emergencies. This made it difficult for them to find reliable childcare that could accommodate their non-traditional and often last-minute work hours. By providing on-site childcare with extended hours, Georgia Power was able to support its employees, ensuring they could focus on their critical work without the added stress of finding adequate childcare.

Solution

Georgia Power decided to invest in on-site childcare tailored to its workforce’s needs. It built two childcare centers: one at its Atlanta headquarters and another adjacent to a large customer care center and power plant in Henry County. Crucially, these centers have extended operating hours – opening well before normal (around 5:30 a.m.) and closing late (~7:30 a.m.). This allows coverage for early-morning maintenance crews and those working into evening peaks. The centers are run by Bright Horizons and earned green building LEED certification—showcasing the company’s commitment to quality and sustainability. The center serves children from six weeks old through pre-K. The curriculum is robust, but the stand-out feature is flexibility: if an employee runs late, the center can accommodate the child for extra hours. They also offer drop-in care for emergencies—employees can call the center if they suddenly get called to an outage, and if a spot is available, they can bring their child in on short notice. To further support employees, Georgia Power subsidizes the cost so that it is affordable; employees pay roughly 20-30% below the market rate.

Results

  • Beneficiary Impact~200 childcare slots created
  • Employee Impact150 families served
  • Financial Results~$1,012,500 in annual savings from retaining employees who would have left

Replication Tips

  • Match hours to workforce needs: If your employees have shift or overnight work, standard daycare won’t cut it. Follow Georgia Power’s lead by providing early and late hours, or even 24-hour care if needed.
  • Consider multiple sites or partnerships: Georgia Power placed centers where there were large concentrations of employees. If your workforce is spread out, you could partner with local daycare providers near each site to reserve slots or extend their hours via subsidy.

Suggested Implementation Timeline

~16-24 months

Sources