Overview
Guild Education, a Denver-based education technology company, opened an on-site childcare center called “The Beehive” for its employees in 2019.
Key Impact Metrics
-
78
children served
-
100%
return-to-work rate for employees after parental leave
Problem
Guild Education experienced rapid growth, from 26 employees in 2017 to 150+ by 2020. As the team expanded, so did the number of new parents. Guild’s leadership, being in the education space, understood the importance of early childhood development and heard concerns from employees about balancing startup life with infant care.
Solution
Guild Education invested in building the Beehive, an on-site childcare and preschool facility at its Denver headquarters. They partnered with a local early childhood provider to manage day-to-day operations. The Beehive is available to Guild’s 1,400 employees. This center is licensed for 82 children, ages three to five. Guild subsidizes the center’s costs so that tuition for employees is below market rate. Guild employees and the childcare workers at Beehive emphasized the family culture that has been created in the childcare center, a unique selling point for employees using the center.
Results
- Beneficiary Impact54 children enrolled
- Employee Impact96% retention rate
- Financial Results~$6,300 saved per year in childcare cost
Replication Tips
- Offload operations if needed: Guild partnered with childcare experts to run the Beehive’s day-to-day operations, which is prudent if your company lacks internal expertise.
- Create a family-friendly culture around it: An on-site center works best when integrated into a broader culture (flexibility for parents to step out for school events, understanding from managers). Guild’s leadership frequently vocalize support for using the center and for prioritizing family – this normalizes it.
Suggested Implementation Timeline
~8-13 months
