Artist rendering of new Bayhealth Childcare Center planned for Sussex Campus
Bayhealth will build a new childcare center on its Sussex County Campus to help staff members working 12-hour shifts.
The new center will be a standalone facility on the Milford campus with completion scheduled for 2025.
The hospital company has a Dover center doing the same for its employees. The Milford center will be able to take up to 102 children when it opens and could expand to 204 if demand grows.
“We’re really excited about this offering,” said Darlene Stone, chief human resource officer. “What it offers that’s unique is the ability to be open from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oftentimes daycare centers are closed before our shift workers get off and are not open before they have to come in to work.”
The hospital’s move comes as state and business leaders talk about the need for more childcare, to enable more people to go to work. The state plans raise the amount of subsidies it gives to low-wage earners so people can to work.
Sussex County, in particular, is a focus of concern because there are proportionately fewer centers and slots for children, and they often cost more than in Kent or New Castle County.
Overall in Delaware, about 48% of workers have children who need care during the day, a recent study said.
Bayhealth accreditation
Bayhealth’s new building will be accredited by National Association for the Education of Young Children, so it will be a full education facility for children who are attending the daycare.
Stone said the Dover center has been open for several years and has been popular. One Sussex Campus employee drives their child to Dover for childcare.
The centers will only accommodate staff, Stone said.
“In Dover, we have about 47 children on a waiting list just with staff,” she said. “We did open the one in Dover to the public, but the need by our staff was so great, we had to close it to staff only. If we ever get to the point we can open it to the public, we will, but right now we know how much our staff needs this service.”
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As the building nears completion, Bayhealth will be hiring staff.
Stone plugged the advantages of being able to work there.
“The beauty of being employed by Bayhealth in the childcare center is that you get all the benefits offered by Bayhealth,” Stone said. “We pay a generous hourly wage but they also get health insurance, retirement plans and tuition reimbursement that other childcare centers are not able to offer.”
Bayhealth is accepting sponsorships for the childcare center, some of which include naming opportunities. To learn more, go to Bayhealth website.
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