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How Smart Start of Mecklenburg County’s Family-Focused Workplace Aligns with the US Surgeon General’s Advisory on Mental Health

Last month, the US Surgeon General released an advisory related to the mental health and well-being of parents.  Studies have shown that in recent years parents have been consistently more likely to report experiencing high levels of stress compared to other adults.  Prolonged stress can have a harmful effect on the mental health of caregivers, impacting the well-being of the children in their care. The Surgeon General called for a "fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize the mental health and well-being of parents," to include a shift in culture, policies, and programs to ensure all parents and caregivers can thrive.

At Smart Start of Mecklenburg County (SSMC), we focus on all children ages 0-5, including their parents and caregivers.   We recognize that caregivers play a crucial role in the health, education, and future success of their children especially within their earliest years.  In Mecklenburg County, 68%[1] of children under age 6 live in families with all parents working.  Research[2] has identified positive parenting as a resilience factor buffering youth against the deleterious impact of stressful childhood experiences on problem behaviors and brain development.  Recognizing that a parent's workplace environment plays a significant role in their overall health and wellbeing, SSMC continues to enhance and refine a set of policies and practices, built on the principles of early care and education, that will positively impact the entire family.

Providing a workplace environment that is focused on family well-being can produce outcomes such as attracting and retaining talent, boosting productivity and morale, reducing costs and absences, and most importantly making a positive impact on employees and their families.  For these reasons, when the NC Early Childhood Education Foundation created the "Family-Friendly Workplace Certification" in late 2022, SSMC was among the first to apply for certification.  To qualify, organizations are assessed using best practice policies from leading organizations across the state and country.  Policy areas with a specific focus for the certification process include paid leave and wages, accommodations for pregnant and breastfeeding workers, child care, health and wellness benefits, and scheduling practices.

In addition to policies already in place, SSMC worked to introduce new policies such as parental leave that provides 90-days of paid leave to caregivers with new children, and bereavement leave that allows individual employees to have input into how they manage the grieving process.  SSMC also added a new standalone lactation pod to our office, which not only complies with new legislation, but also provides employees with a comfortable and private space for lactation needs.  Flexible practices were also added to SSMC's work environment including work-from-home or hybrid options for many positions, flexibility to adjust for child and family care during working hours and allowing employees to bring children into the office. 

At SSMC we believe in prioritizing the needs of the entire family, including parents.  We will continue to strive towards building a positive, supportive workplace that is responsive and adaptive to the ongoing needs faced by our team members and their families.  We hope to build upon our existing efforts to create a legacy of a family-friendly culture that prioritizes the needs of caregivers.  Additionally, we hope to work collaboratively with other organizations to improve workplace support for parents so that all caregivers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and their children, can benefit.

 

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[1] Child Care Services Association, Mecklenburg County Child Care Fact Sheet, 10/3/2024, Child Care Resources Inc. on behalf of the NC Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Council.

[2] Positive parenting moderates associations between childhood stress and corticolimbic structure
Isabella Kahhalé, Kelly R Barry, Jamie L Hanson, PNAS Nexus, Volume 2, Issue 6, June 2023.