Micron is a company that makes semiconductors, but we can only make those if we have people in those roles. Child care is a workforce, economic and attraction issue. If there is a barrier for someone to work, you better do something to reduce that barrier. 

Amanda Blumenstein, Director, People Experience

A Global Leader Needs Global Solutions

An industry leader in the semiconductor sector, Micron has been a technology innovator for more than forty years, with groundbreaking advancements in memory and storage solutions. Semiconductors are used in many electronic devices including computers, cars and cell phones, and with the reliance on these items continuing to increase in popularity, Micron depends on a global, reliable and productive workforce to meet industry demand. 

In 2019, it became clear, through consistent employee feedback, that team members needed help financing and accessing quality child care in order to come to work. As they explored solutions to help their team members, Micron came to understand the challenges of the child care ecosystem itself. This led them to partner with child care infrastructure advocates within the communities where their team members live and work, listening to the community of early childhood providers and educators to understand the need and how to balance support of their workforce and community.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Through feasibility studies and team member surveys at their sites globally, Micron realized that different communities have different challenges requiring different solutions. One-size would not fit all for the needs across their workforce spanning numerous countries, states and communities. So they launched separate approaches for each, experimenting with a variety of child care benefits for team members and seeking to understand which solutions may work in which communities.

Boise, ID: An On-Site Center: As Micron’s headquarters, Boise was a natural fit for an on-site center to fill a need for the large workforce located in a child care desert. Partnering with the YMCA, Micron built a new facility, with 124 slots open to team members in September 2024. “YMCA is a great community partner because we are on the same page and they understand and know our community,” says Marni McDowell, Senior Director of Global Wellbeing and Experience. 

The challenge in Boise: Micron had 150 children on a waitlist for 124 spots, but when the center opened, those families didn’t immediately enroll. Why? Parents are unlikely to move their children from their current child care situation unless they are unhappy there, and with employees commuting from a variety of locations, their local community provider may be more convenient or cost effective. “There was a lot of hype about it, but when push comes to shove, it may take 2-3 years to fill because it is generally the parents with new babies who will start their child care at your center; if their children are happy and settled where they are, not a lot of parents will change their current care situation,” advises Blumenstein. 

Manassas, Virginia: Back up Care: The survey data from the feasibility study showed that many of Micron’s workforce in this area were primarily concerned about backup care. Access to child care when their children are sick, their regular care is unexpectedly closed, holidays and school closures, etc. were a high priority. They use a national vendor that connects team members with a child care network and financial assistance from Micron. 

The challenge in Virginia: Micron quickly learned, however, that without an already existing, strong child care network in the community, financial assistance can’t solve the problem. Staff appreciated the money, but couldn’t find reliable places to spend the money. “A stipend is a thing you can do, but just because you give your employees money doesn’t mean that you’re decreasing their absenteeism if they still can’t find a place where they can go,” cautions McDowell. They are actively working with their backup care provider to bolster the size of the network to make it more usable for its employees.

Bay Area/San Jose, CA: Based on feedback from their bay area workforce, Micron pursued a solution to purchase child care slots. They would pay to reserve waitlist space at local child care facilities and put Micron team members at the top of the waitlist. 

The challenge in California: In this arrangement, families didn’t have an ability to choose the center that was the best fit for them so they often didn’t take advantage of the benefit. Plus, employees were at the whim of waitlists which may never come to fruition and Micron paid for the waitlist spots whether families used them or not. It didn’t take long for Micron to recognize this solution wasn’t having the desired impact on their workforce, and even with a three-year commitment, the company decided to end the program. 

Outcomes

The goodwill that has come with these three approaches reaches well beyond the US based locations. Across the globe, Micron employees appreciate the company’s efforts to find tailored solutions for various markets to support working parent’s needs. While it’s too soon to have data, the company expects to fully recognize a return on investment: “Micron is in a competitive industry with highly talented people. If we provide child care support resources that are valued, we believe this influences our team members’ decision to stay with the company,” said McDowell. 

Advice

Iterate and Improve: Understanding the need to admit when something isn’t working, Micron returned to their employee needs assessment to implement different solutions that were better aligned to what their staff wanted in Virginia and the Bay Area, and has since changed vendors. “It’s so important to collaborate not only with your workforce but your local community to understand the need, the pain points and issues impacting the overall child care landscape and be able to make meaningful solutions,” advises McDowell.

Enrich life for all. “We’re not in the business of healthcare or child care, but we are in the business of taking care of our team members and their families,” says McDowell. Enriching life for all is an anchor for the company’s vision, and that means focusing on an inclusive environment. “With how niche some of our roles are, it could be that there are only ten people in the world who can fill the role; if they don’t have care for their child, then we have to help them find solutions,” Blumenstein says.   

Advocate and Activate:  “This is a workforce issue, not just a family issue,” continues Blumenstein.  “And as employers, it is our responsibility to be vocal about our involvement, share and lead by example. To other employers, we’d say: “join us.”