- A Year of Raising the Village. Week #15. What makes a business child & family friendly?
- When do you know that you’ve stepped into a child and family friendly business? What signs do you look for? Is it the children’s clothing displayed around the room or toy area in the corner? (Maybe) Is it the age appropriate products or services? (Perhaps) Or do you look deeper?
- What makes a child and family friendly business?
How about a business that maintains employee benefits and human resource policies that truly support a growing family: Check out Naples Alliance for Children http://www.napleschild.org/family_friendly.php This resource includes small and large business criteria. “The importance of family policies and benefits in the workplace is becoming crucial to men and women when they evaluate employment opportunities and also to employers who compete for working parents in the labor market. Employers are now called upon to create a work environment that meets the expanding and challenging role of the working parent. Family Friendly workplace programs payoff in dividends by attracting and retaining the best employees, increasing productivity, increasing employee morale, reducing turnover, absenteeism and tardiness, and reducing health costs related to stress.”
How about a business that evaluates their practices: The Family and Parenting Institute in UK http://www.familyandparenting.org/reportCard2010 has an excellent review of the multiple issues related to family friendly business practices including work/life balance, cost of raising a child, maternity and paternity benefits, transportation and housing costs, neighbourhoods and green spaces….. How does your community score? They also have a survey on family friendly services http://www.familyandparenting.org/familyFriendlyServices
How about a business that upholds ethical commerce & safety: Ethical commerce commits to the well being of children and families and considers design, manufacturing and sales (among a host of other important criteria). They follow the UN Convention of the Rights!
Ethical marketing: See: http://www.parentsforethicalmarketing.org/
Businesses Safety of children: This link celebrates business for installing seat belts on shopping carts: http://www.welcometowilliamslake.ca/index.php/business-profiles/2647-local-businesses-thanked-for-family-friendly-practices.html
Ethical Commerce is part of the foundational work that the Centre for Child Honouring upholds http://childhonouring.org/covenantprinciples.html or http://childhonouring.org/blog.html?item=108
So come on people, engage with business...start a family friendly business crusade! Talk about what attitudes, practices, policies and atmospheres affect you and send the message that children and families matter! Village Raising Question: What messages do your local businesses send to children and families?
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