Work-Related Child-Care Centres in Canada - 2001 : Chapter III

Chapter III : A Study of 14 Workplace Child-Care Centres in Canada

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The Copper House
Husky Injection Molding
Bolton, Ontario

The Copper House is an example of a successful, fully integrated, employer-funded early childhood centre. In 1998, it received the Ontario Margaret Fletcher Award for its leadership and excellence in the field of early childhood education and care. The Copper House attracts many human resources managers and companies who want to emulate an innovative program that can translate to good business for their organizations.

The Employer

Husky Injection Molding, founded in 1953, supplies injection-molding systems to the plastics industry around the world. Its manufacturing campuses are located in Bolton, Ontario; Dudelange, Luxembourg; and Milton, Vermont. The Bolton location, where The Copper House is located, employs approximately 1500 people. A large proportion are male, working in specialized technical and engineering jobs.

A representative of the company indicated that Husky aims to manage its natural and working environment as well as its activities in a proactive manner. To this end, it has implemented programs for its employees that promote health and well-being. Its wellness centre and fitness facility are staffed with a team of professionals whose goal is to assist employees with their medical and physical health. By promoting health and well-being, these programs, in turn, reduce absenteeism, motivate employees and help them to become more productive.

Along with these services, Husky offers broader programs that assist employees in balancing their work and personal life. The type of industry that Husky is in may require employees to work days, afternoons, evenings or weekends. Some workers are able to work from home, work on a part-time basis or take time off for family, training or personal reasons.

The Child-Care Centre

In 1994, the management of Husky decided to establish a workplace child-care centre. In doing so, the company recognized the needs of its young working parents and that such a centre was one way to attract and retain talented young professional and technical workers. After two years of planning, the project was completed and, in October 1996, The Copper House opened its doors.

Husky management’s vision and the company’s needs in terms of its workforce are the basis of the services offered by The Copper House :

The high quality of people provides businesses with a strategic advantage that clearly differentiates them from their global competitors. In order to continuously attract and retain outstanding talent Husky is committed to providing a challenging work environment, opportunities for career advancement and superior services for our people. Our Copper House is part of that commitment. (Robert Schad, President and CEO)

Husky’s child-development centre, The Copper House, is designed to assist parents with their child-care needs. Those responsible for creating and establishing the early childhood centre have not only created a physical building, but also an operation that supports and meets the varying needs and demands of both children and working parents. Interior and exterior spaces of The Copper House have been carefully crafted to meet the children’s needs for both stability and security. For example, a series of adjoining rooms promote the easy flow of activity across all program areas, from infancy to school age.

Management and Operation of the Centre

The Copper House is completely owned and managed by the company under its Environment, Health and Safety Department. It is fully integrated into the corporation, and its operation is considered as one of the company’s many business units. Day-to-day management is the responsibility of the centre’s director, while major decisions are subject to consultation and approval from senior Husky management. The set-up costs of The Copper House were 100% defrayed by the company without government assistance. The employer and revenue from parent fees fund the operating costs.

The Copper House’s services are restricted to Husky employees. The usual hours of operation are flexible. They usually range between 6:45 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., but the centre will also accommodate any parent’s schedule outside of these hours, at anytime, without prior notification. Although the licensed capacity of the centre is 94 children, including 6 spaces for infants and 30 for school-age children, a total of 175 are enrolled either on a full-time, part-time, occasional or emergency basis. School-age children up to 12 years of age can attend the centre before and after school, on teacher’s professional development days, during Christmas, March and summer breaks or on any other occasion at the convenience of parents.

Twenty-three qualified, highly professional staff make up the team of The Copper House. Given the diversity of the children’s needs, staff have been selected from a variety of disciplines. All have, as a minimum, an early childhood education degree or diploma. Some team members have expertise and experience in infant stimulation, sign language and special needs. Others may have an Ontario teaching certificate or degrees in music, psychology or child studies. The director of the centre has more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education.

Services

A resource library for all Husky employees is also available to be used for activities relating to family and child care. Other resources are also available such as a lunchtime mothers' support group and campus-wide seminars on topics of interest to parents. Research clearly demonstrates that the success and learning potential of an individual relates directly to the quality of his or her experiences in the early years. The Copper House provides a family-like setting that sets the stage for young children to realize their potential. The centre uses a blend of several methods, including those of Reggio Emila and Maria Montessori.

Husky’s concern for the protection of the environment is transmitted to the children at an early age. Not only are they taught how to recycle, but also how to compost and garden on completely pesticide-free grounds. These and other activities are intended to teach children at an early age to integrate respect for their environment and their community into their daily activities.

Young professionals and specialized technical workers form the bulk of Husky’s workforce. Parents greatly value the services that the early childhood centre provides for them and their children. Some parents have been offered opportunities in other companies but have declined them because there was not a "Copper House’’ for their families.

To meet the needs of the busy lifestyles of today’s working families, The Copper House tries to provide additional support and services whenever possible. For example, music and piano lessons are given at the centre, and a hairdresser visits every six weeks to cut the children’s hair. Parents pay for these services, but the team of The Copper House organizes them. On demand, some staff also work evenings and weekends to provide parents with additional support.

In the end, a happy employee equals higher productivity. It's a win-win situation for both employee and company. Resources are also available within the centre to ensure that children experience a smooth transition from school to the child-care setting, and from there to home or extra-curricular activities. The centre provides light suppers at no extra cost to children who have extra-curricular activities. Staff will also help out by taking children to the arena for their hockey or skating practice or to the pool for swimming lessons. These are only a few of the initiatives that the team of The Copper House have implemented to help families spend as much quality time together as possible. The reasoning is that these initiatives can reduce the time that parents spend "running around", which frees up more quality time for them to devote to their children.

Parents are always welcome in the centre. Every few months, it gathers as a community, hosting breakfasts or potluck dinners where both immediate and extended family members are welcome. On Valentine’s Day, the centre hosts a pyjama night for the children to give parents a chance to have an evening to themselves. Children are given supper and are ready to go to bed when their parents come to pick them up around 10 p.m. This event is organized on a volunteer basis by the staff of The Copper House.

These are only examples of the many innovative initiatives that Husky has taken to help its employees balance a challenging career with their personal responsibilities. In the end, a happy employee equals higher productivity. It’s a win-win situation for both employee and company.

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