Three NYC and New Jersey Area Companies Make the Top 10 in Working Mother's 'Best Companies for Kids' List

By NYMetroParents Staff August 16, 2011

Good news for working parents in the NYC and New Jersey area who want to balance a successful career while still raising their kids. Working Mother magazine counts down the top 10 "Best Companies for Kids." Citi, Mastercard, and Prudential Financial, Inc. make the cut in the NYC area. Read on for other winning workplaces around the country.

On August 16, 2011, Working Mother revealed which of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies lead the way in offering the crucial child care, parental leave and other kid-focused benefits working parents need to be successful both at work and at home. From prenatal programs to summer camps and college scholarships, the 2011 Working Mother's Best Companies for Kids serve children of all ages and are truly drool-worthy in more ways than one. The ten winning companies employ more than 438,500 people at 12,671 worksites nationwide.

As the average childcare cost per day rises, this year's Best Companies for Kids offer consistently lower fees across all of their childcare programs when compared to other Working Mother 100 Best Companies. Every Best Company for Kids offers on-site and near-site childcare centers and backup childcare, while most also offer before/afterschool childcare, school-holiday childcare and summer-program childcare. Additionally, a majority of Best Companies for Kids offer business-travel childcare reimbursements, support groups for parents of teens, scholarships to employees' family members and adoption assistance as well.

"Today's Best Companies for Kids are leading the way by offering the programs and tools necessary to meet the hectic work-life schedule of parents in the office," said Jennifer Owens, Director, Working Mother Research Institute. "They are creating a sense of support and understanding in the workplace, which is resulting in stronger employee engagement and a higher retention rate, having positive implications all around. Child care benefits are important and are arguably the icing on the cake for many seeking long-term employment."

The 2011 Working Mother Best Companies for Kids (in alphabetical order):

· Abbott, Abbot Park, IL

· Bank of America, Charlotte, NC

· Citi, New York, NY

· Discovery Communications, Silver Springs, MD

· HCA Virginia Health System, Richmond Market, Richmond, VA

· MasterCard Worldwide, Purchase, NY

· Prudential Financial, Inc., Newark, NJ

· S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Racine, WI

· University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI

· WellStar Health System, Marietta, GA

The 2011 Best Companies for Kids is chronicled in the Aug/Sept 2011 issue of Working Mother magazine. Extended coverage can be found at workingmother.com.

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