Designed to get working mothers back on the job as soon as possible, many businesses are opening up their own childcare facilities, writes Fay Davids
THE high-pressure environment at Liberty Life is getting to Kyle and Wesley. It’s only 11am and already they’re at blows. It happens often these days, say staff, looking on wearily.
Kyle and Wesley are two of the more than 50 children who come to work with their parents every day to stay at Liberty’s creche in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. Liberty Life is among the first of South Africa’s corporations to provide childcare at work as an added benefit for the employees.
The trend has grown in the United States and it’s likely to be imported into South Africa as trade unions and educationists begin marketing the concept of having “boardroom babies”.
But Liberty Life’s creche is no bland, bare boardroom. It’s a state-of-the-art creche with colourful murals, the best toys and equipment and oodles of TLC.
“Our standards are high,” says principal Brenda Havenga. She employs 22 staffers, most of whom are highly qualified. They all attend regular refresher courses to stay at the cutting edge of pre-school care.
The creche is designed to get working mothers back on the job soon after the accepted maternity period of three months.
Havenga accepts babies from two months old and keeps them until they’re three. “After that we encourage parents to find schools in the communities.” Spaces are booked well in advance — over 40 pregnant mothers have already reserved their places.
Babies are placed in the nursery until they can walk, when they graduate to the toddlers group and then finally to the play-group.
If there is a downside to this creche it’s the absence of a dirt and grass outdoor playground. Security concerns and the surrounding concrete environment made the creche’s architects decide not to build outdoors. Instead, the little ones romp to the strains of “Old McDonald had a farm” in a space called the inside-outdoor area.
They play in sandpits, a water-trough and an Israeli gym with hundreds of different bits. There are also lots of swings, slides and little cars.
Although tempting, the parents of the older children don’t come downstairs all the time. “It would be too disruptive,” says Havenga. “But the parents of babies can come down as many times as they like. The mothers are more productive. When they’re away from the child, there’s lots of concern, especially from first-time mothers,” she says.
Liberty Life’s state-of-the-art care comes with a reasonable price-tag. It costs R450 a month; though this amount is substantially subsidised by the company. In addition, a limited number of baby bursaries are available for staffers who can’t pay the fee.