Boeing

The Boeing Company today took another significant step into the arena of family-friendly workplaces when it celebrated the grand opening of its new Boeing Family Center.The center, located on the Everett site, is Boeing's first on-site child care center.

"Today, we are celebrating not only a new facility, but a new way of working with our employees," said Phil Condit, Boeing chairman and chief executive officer."We must support our employees in a manner that enables them to continue making valuable contributions to our competitiveness while also being able to spend the time they desire and need with their families or other outside interests.This center is a visible example of that transformation taking place in Boeing."

Also on hand for the event were senior executives from CorporateFamily Solutions, the child care management company Boeing has contracted with to run the new Family Center.CorporateFamily Solutions, headquartered in Nashville, has broad experience with corporations in running on-site child development programs.

"The Boeing Family Center creates a win-win situation for the company and employees," said Marguerite Sallee, president and chief executive officer of CorporateFamily Solutions."Employees benefit from work and family services that support and add value to their lives.In return, the company benefits from having happy, productive employees who are committed to their work."

Vice-Chairman of CorporateFamily Solutions and former Governor of Tennessee Lamar Alexander added, "Boeing is breaking new ground with the Boeing Family Center.Working families today need a lot of support.The obvious solution is to try to solve the dilemmas of working families at the workplace and that is exactly what Boeing is doing."

The 22,000 square foot facility has capacity for 208 children.The developmental program in the center is designed to meet the needs of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with the emphasis on early childhood education.The center will also be a base for a wide range of services to families that serve a larger portion of the work force, such as parent education, back-up care, holiday programs for school-age children and possibly 24-hour care.Eventually, the center will offer training in early-childhood education for area caregivers.

In 12 months, Boeing will conduct an evaluation of the center to determine if more family centers will be built at other Boeing plants in the Puget Sound region or at other Boeing sites across the nation.