Bright Horizons Partners with Employers to Offer Free Child Care So Parents Can Vote

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With Election Day around the corner, Bright Horizons is partnering with a number of employers to offer their employees free child care so that working parents can exercise their right to vote. Starting now, employees at Target, Expedia Group, ViacomCBS, Airbnb, S&P Global and Cantor Fitzgerald, as well as other participating companies, can use this employee benefit to secure a child care provider, either at their home or in a Bright Horizons child care center, and their employer will cover the cost. Employees can access the free child care whether they are voting early or plan to go to the polls on November 3.

While bringing children to the polls has historically represented an important lesson in public service, doing so this election year presents health and safety concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic. With schools operating remotely and more children at home, working parents have expressed concern over how and when they will be able to make it to the polls. Long lines in early voting locations have exacerbated the child care challenge for many. Leading employers are stepping up to remove a key barrier and ensure all of their employees have the support they need to make their vote count.

Stephen Kramer, Bright Horizons Chief Executive Officer said, “It is crucial for every American to be able to vote and make their voice heard. As our work and personal lives continue to intertwine, Americans need their workplaces to play an increasingly supportive role in helping them manage it all. So many of our client partners are truly stepping up to allow their employees to make an important impact this election season.”

In addition to supporting employers, Bright Horizons is also bringing voting into its child care centers. In centers across the country, children have been voting on which book to read at story time and which seed to plant in the classroom garden. Involving children in voting activities allows them to have a voice in the decision-making in their classroom and start developing an understanding of citizenship.