HHS unveils Toolkit for Employers to streamline resources to support working parents

Employers in North Dakota know the challenges their workforce faces regarding access to quality, affordable child care. The North Dakota Employer Toolkit for Supporting Working Parents is now available as a quick, easy guide focused on resources and programs employers can support to help working parents.

Provided by North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS), the purpose of the toolkit and the accompanying webpage is to serve as a one-stop shop for information that can help employers recruit and retain valuable employees, foster a supportive work environment, and position their business as a sought-after employer of choice.

"We hope that this can be a quick and easy resource for our business community," HHS Early Childhood Director Kay Larson said. "Complementary to the ongoing efforts of the ND Child Care Initiative, the toolkit is designed to help employers mitigate the impact that child care has on workforce participation by highlighting useful information and resources most relevant to North Dakota employers,."

The toolkit can be found on the Employer Support for Working Parents webpage which includes ready-to-use written and visual materials that employers can use with their teams.

In 2023, Gov. Doug Burgum signed House Bill 1540, which allocated nearly $66 million of state funds to work alongside federal funds for the ND Child Care Initiative. The objective of the initiative is to alleviate one of the state's major barriers to workforce participation, child care. To address the state's workforce needs, the initiative focuses on three key elements of the child care workforce barrier: availability, affordability and quality. Addressing these elements will make it easier for parents and guardians to work, provide for their families and strengthen local businesses and their communities. Learn more about the initiative at hhs.nd.gov/nd-child-care-initiative.