Family Forward NC COVID-19 Rapid Response Program
Family Forward NC COVID-19 Rapid Response Program
Supporting children and families is critical, especially as the early childhood system grapples with challenges brought on by COVID-19. One way to support young children is by supporting working parents, who are facing additional child care challenges, school closures, and the need to take time off to care for themselves or a sick family member.
Some challenges facing families include the following:
- 70 percent of working parents (or 23.5 million people) are balancing full-time work and caregiving for children as a result of COVID-19 shutdowns, K-12 schools moving to full or partial remote learning, or lack of care options. Their return to work will likely be dependent on the reopening of child care programs and schools.
- Yet only 42 percent of workplaces currently open and 32 percent of workplaces planning to open soon have a plan for supporting employees’ child care needs.
To support families, Family Forward NC is working to improve the health and well-being of children and parents. Family Forward NC is working towards employer-led change to increase access to research-based, family-friendly practices—big and small—that improve workplace productivity, recruitment and retention; grow a strong economy; and support children’s healthy development.
Family Forward NC’s COVID-19 Rapid Response program is providing employers with HR experts, resources, and support needed for families facing workplace issues as they return to work or retool their businesses. Some family-friendly businesses practices include paid leave and flexible work options which help employers return to business (and employees to return to work) in a way that allows for continued viability for business and continued health and well-being for the families of all workers.
Through Family Forward NC’s Rapid Response program, employers can access:
- HR experts, with a focus on manufacturing and hospitality expertise, to assist employers in considering industry-appropriate workplace benefits.
- A Family Forward Return to Work Kit and companion webinars so employers can offer workplace benefits for successful transitioning back into operation/retooling and moving forward.
- A blind spot analysis
- And a limited number of opportunities for no cost, targeted consultation for individual employers.
Learn more about Rapid Response and view survey results on workplace benefits…
Family Forward NC is supported by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. Thank you to our Rapid Response partners, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and Visit NC 365.
