News

Family Forward NC is Expanding

Learn More about Community Level Certification Information Sessions on August 13 and August 15 Join the movement to create thriving, family-friendly workplaces! The North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF) invites you to lead a Family Forward NC® Community Certification campaign. Family Forward NC® Community Certification is an opportunity for coalitions, workgroups, partnerships, and alliances that are interested in boosting local economic sustainability by creating a family-friendly business base. A community can be an individual municipal…

Greensboro Celebrates 10,000 Employees in Family Forward NC Certified Workplaces

Greensboro is on a mission to become the first Family Forward NC Certified community by 2025 and they’re making gains. This month they celebrated a big milestone — 10,000 employees working across more than 40 Family Forward Certified Employers are benefitting from family-friendly workplaces. It’s a big indication that businesses in Greensboro know what it takes to attract and retain the best talent, and it’s just the beginning. Greensboro is adding more certified businesses every week and setting an example for other cities who want to stay competitive while supporting the growth and we…

How Can a Small Business Offer Paid Parental Leave?

Research shows the many benefits of offering parental leave include improved recruitment, retention, and employee engagement. But these benefits may feel few and far between for the team members left to maintain the workload while a fellow employee is out on parental leave. Particularly at small organizations, each role is a critical one and any employee’s departure (even temporary) can be a big transition for the rest of the team.Concerns most often raised by small business owners about offering paid parental leave are the cost to the business, questions of equity for other employees, a…

A Lack of Child Care is Stifling NC’s Economy

NC employers continue to make their voices heard about how child care availability and affordability for their employees is critical to the success of their businesses and organizations. They also recognize that quality child care supports the healthy development of our youngest children, our future workforce. The U.S. Chamber Foundation, in partnership with the NC Chamber Foundation and NC Child, just released a report based on a March 2024 survey of more than 500 NC households with children under six years old. The survey sampled a population that is representative of our state…

By the Numbers: NC’s Family Forward NC® Certified Employers have doubled already in 2024

The word is out: workplace benefits that support the health and well-being of parents, caregivers, and young children are also great for employers. Since January 2024, the number of Family Forward NC Certified Employers has doubled, highlighting the growth and value that both employers and employees place on family-friendly benefits. Certified employers have met an impressive set of standards outlined by NCECF’s Family Forward NC initiative. These employers implement a range of policies and practices that support the health and well-being of North Carolina’s children and fa…

Three Ways Employers Can Support Workers’ Mental Health 

Honoring National Mental Health Awareness Month & Maternal Mental Health MonthAlmost everyone experiences mental health challenges at some point in their lives. Responsive communities and workplaces can allow people to cope, and even thrive, through adversity. Employers can play a key role in preventing mental health crises, and promoting a culture of awareness and support among their employees.May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and Maternal Mental Health Month. This is the perfect time for employers to revisit their benefits policies and practices to ensure that t…

Industry Leaders Claim Family Forward ‘Firsts’ and Open the Door for More to Follow

Innovators and industry leaders know that being “the first” at something takes a certain level of risk. Whether motivated by passion or prudence, we’re seeing businesses step up and try something new, leading their local industries by becoming the first Family Forward NC Certified employers in their industries. The fact is, good for families is good for business, and these local leaders know that by creating a family-friendly workplace, they’re supporting both their company and their community. In the past month, six employers have been certified as the first in the…

Chocolates, or Quality and Affordable Child Care? A Mother’s Day Request

By Lisa FinaldiEven if you’re not a parent of young children, you are probably aware of the child care crisis across the country. Congress has not renewed billions in federal child care funding, and as a result, care providers across North Carolina and the US are cutting back or shutting down – making it even harder for parents to find affordable care for their young children. You may know someone who has quit their job or put their career or education on hold because they couldn’t find affordable child care.  These stories are commonplace today. In North Carolina, only 3.4% of famil…

Employee Loyalty May Lie in Family Friendly Policies

Regardless of the industry, attracting and retaining a strong workforce is key to growing a thriving business. When businesses consider their company culture, policies, and benefits, they should prioritize building a family-friendly workplace. 73% of employees in North Carolina would be more committed to their employer if they offered more family-friendly practices.86% of US millennials, which now make up the greatest percentage of the workforce, say they are less likely to leave an employer that offers paid parental leave.94% of NC employees say that family-friendly polic…

How to Build a Family-Friendly Workforce

While the benefits of family-friendly workplaces are abundantly clear to some, others may not be able to see the connection or benefit to their business, workplace, or situation. The key to a stronger economy for all North Carolinians means investing in our workforce, and that calls for workplace policies that support children and working families. Family-friendly policies help grow and support our communities as a whole, and their impact might be greater than you think. Chris Chung, Chief Executive Officer at Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), helps e…

Creating Healthy and Inclusive Workplaces Can Prevent Violence

Honoring survivors and their families during Sexual Assault Awareness Month When we talk about sexual assault, we often focus on the impacts that violence has directly on the victim. However, sexual violence also spills over to a victim’s family. Physical health problems, depression, anxiety, and stress strain family life and relationships. When sexual violence occurs at work, a survivor’s fear of financial instability if they were to lose their job can overburden them as a parent or caregiver, making it difficult for them to provide the necessary care and support for their children.&…

Preventing Child Abuse Through Family-Friendly Workplace Policies

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and this year’s focus is Building Connected Communities. We know that implementing family friendly policies and programs in the workplace is one of the ways we can create strong, supportive communities around our children and families, helping to prevent abuse. Child abuse affects a community’s quality of life and economic prosperity, burdening its healthcare, education, and criminal justice systems. And it doesn’t just impact children. Research shows that children who experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), like abuse or neg…