2022/2023 Biennial Report: Supportive Workplaces, Stronger Families

News, Uncategorized

The new Family Forward NC Biennial ReportSupportive Workplaces, Stronger Families: Thousands of North Carolinians Now Work for Family Forward NC Certified Employers –  highlights the expansion of our reach, recognition, and impact for 2022/2023. Through the launch of two major programs, Family Forward NC has expanded to work in 77 NC counties and six states, and has received national and international recognition for our innovative approach to increasing family-friendly benefits in the workplace. 

Our Family Forward NC Employer Certification is one of only two in the country that recognizes employers whose policies and practices support the health and well-being of their employees and children. More than 6,000 employees in NC, from local government, health care, and nonprofits, now work for Family Forward NC Certified Employers – and the numbers are growing! 

How to Build a Family Forward Community offers organizations outside North Carolina a license to create a family-friendly workplace initiative in their community or state, utilizing our know-how, experience, and materials to jump-start their initiatives. 

Diverse organizations in five states – Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Florida and Minnesota – have launched initiatives to engage employers and inspire them to support the health and well-being of children through family-friendly workplaces. The team from Family Forward NC also advised the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission about the engagement of employers seeking to address the child care shortage in their communities. 

What’s on the horizon in 2024-2025? 

  • In partnership with Action Greensboro, we are piloting an initiative with the city of Greensboro to create a Family Forward NC Community Certification, with the goal of expanding that work to other communities across the state
  • Continue to expand Family Forward NC Employer Certification across the state;
  • Continue to build a bench of business advocates who can advocate for greater state investment in early childhood programs; and
  • Aggregate data and learnings from certified employers, creating the first statewide look at the landscape of family-friendly employers in North Carolina.

Please take a moment to celebrate with us – read the report and share our impact through your newsletters and social media channels.