If You Build It, They Will Come: Parental Use of On-Site Child Care Centers

Employer-sponsored on-site child care, although a small percentage of the U. S. child care market, is of substantial interest to families, firms and governments searching for relief from work/family conflicts. This paper analyzes employee survey data from three firms in the same industry and local labor market, two of which offer on-site child care while one does not. These data allow for detailed descriptive and multivariate analysis of the child care strategies of working parents, including primary, secondary and Saturday care, and how such strategies are affected by the availability of employer-sponsored on-site care.