Supporting Working Families: How BPD’s Child Care Project Empowers Employees

Finding reliable, affordable child care remains one of the most significant challenges facing working parents today. So what can employers do to help? For employees at the Baltimore Police Department, a partnership with Upwards is changing that reality, providing critical support that helps parents stay in the workforce while ensuring their children receive quality care.

The Child Care Crisis Facing Working Parents

The numbers tell a stark story. More than 400,000 women left the U.S. workforce in just the first half of 2025, the steepest decline in mothers of young children in over 40 years, according to a University of Kansas analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Child care was identified as the primary driver. A 2024 report from Motherly found that 66% of mothers, an all-time high, cited the cost and stress of child care as a reason to consider leaving the workforce entirely.

Yet despite this crisis, only 12% of U.S. workers currently have access to employer child care benefits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Diana V., a background investigator in the Baltimore Police Department’s recruitment section, represents thousands of working parents caught in this gap. As a mother of two daughters, including a four-year-old with special needs, Diana knows the struggle intimately.

“I’ve broken down about the fact that I can’t get to work because I have a child who needs me in that moment, and I don’t have anyone to watch that child,” Diana explains. “It’s not because we can’t be there. It’s because we have a job that we need to make sure that we can afford to take care of them.”

The financial burden alone is significant. Diana estimates her four-year-old’s child care expenses at approximately $2,000 per month, a figure consistent with national data showing families spend between 8.9% and 16% of their median income on full-day care for just one child, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Watch Diana’s full interview here.

How the BPD Child Care Program Works

The Baltimore Police Department’s partnership with Upwards provides employees with comprehensive child care support through a streamlined, user-friendly system.

Easy Enrollment Process Employees simply download the app, complete a guided setup walkthrough, and are immediately assigned a dedicated care navigator to help them get started.

Fast Reimbursement Claims are submitted directly through the mobile app and reimbursements are processed within days via direct deposit. Diana’s experience demonstrates the program’s efficiency:

“I submitted my claim two days ago and my reimbursement was already deposited today. It’s pretty quick, pretty easy.”

Flexible Care Options Employees can access a network of vetted care providers, review credentials, and book care on demand, particularly valuable for roles with irregular or unpredictable schedules.

Real Impact on Working Families

Financial Relief

For families spending thousands monthly on child care, even partial reimbursement provides meaningful relief.

Diana notes that “any little bit helps,” and the financial support “takes off a lot of weight because child care is expensive.”

Peace of Mind

Beyond finances, the program offers something equally valuable: confidence in care quality. For parents like Diana who relocated to Baltimore County without an established support network, finding trustworthy caregivers is particularly challenging. The ability to review credentials and access vetted providers through the app eliminates much of that anxiety.

Special Needs Support

Finding qualified care for children with additional needs presents unique challenges. Diana emphasizes this reality: “You can’t have just anyone take care of a child that has additional needs.” The program’s network includes providers equipped to handle diverse care requirements.

Career Advancement Opportunities

Perhaps most significantly, the program removes barriers to professional growth. Diana is currently transitioning from a civilian role to a sworn officer position, a process requiring attendance at tests and training outside regular work hours.

“I can literally open the app, find a care provider, review their credentials, and have them come and watch the kids for that time frame,” she explains. “It’s definitely encouraging and it makes you want to make yourself available because you know that you have that opportunity there.”

Preventing Workforce Attrition

The connection between child care support and employee retention is well-documented. A 2024 landmark study by Moms First and Boston Consulting Group found that 86% of employees said they were more likely to remain with their employer because of child care benefits. The same study found that retaining as few as 1% of eligible employees is often enough to cover the cost of providing the benefit to the entire eligible workforce.

Diana speaks to this directly: “Moms leave the workplace a lot and it’s mainly because they have to be there for their children.” A 2025 Catalyst survey confirmed that 42% of women who left jobs cited caregiving concerns as the top reason, more than double the share who cited low pay.

Without the program, Diana’s 10-year-old would be home alone after school. This reality forces many parents to reduce hours, decline promotions, or leave employment entirely. By providing reliable child care solutions, the BPD program helps retain experienced employees who might otherwise exit the workforce.

The Broader Case for Employer Child Care Benefits

The Baltimore Police Department’s child care initiative demonstrates how targeted employee benefits can address critical workforce challenges. The business case is compelling:

Recruitment and Retention: According to KinderCare’s 2026 Confidence Index, 85% of working parents now consider child care benefits as essential as health care, and 79% say they would be more loyal to an employer who supported them better as a parent. Child care has overtaken retirement savings as a top-priority workplace benefit.

ROI: A 2024 study by BCG and Moms First found companies that invest in child care benefits see an ROI ranging from 90% to 425%.

Operational Flexibility: When employees have reliable child care, they can meet demanding schedules, attend required training, and respond to operational needs without compromising family responsibilities.

Diversity and Inclusion: Child care support helps level the playing field for parents, particularly mothers who disproportionately bear child care responsibilities. KPMG’s “The Great Exit” report found that inadequate child care options affected an average of 1.34 million workers per month in 2024, with 70% of those impacted being women aged 25-44 in their prime working years.

Cost of Inaction: Child care-related absenteeism and lost productivity costs U.S. employers an estimated $23 billion annually.

Frequently Asked Questions About Employer Child Care Benefits

What is an employer child care benefit? An employer child care benefit is a workplace program that helps employees find, access, and pay for child care. These programs can include reimbursement for care expenses, access to vetted provider networks, and dedicated support to help parents navigate their options, all offered through the employer as part of a broader benefits package.

Can my employer reimburse me for child care costs? Yes. Employers can offer child care reimbursement as a direct employee benefit. Programs like the one offered through BPD and Upwards allow employees to submit claims through a mobile app and receive reimbursement directly to their bank account, often within a matter of days.

Why should employers offer child care benefits? Child care challenges are one of the leading reasons parents, particularly mothers, reduce hours or leave the workforce entirely. According to a 2025 Catalyst survey, caregiving concerns are now the number one reason women leave their jobs. Employers who offer child care support see measurable improvements in retention, recruitment, and employee wellbeing, and gain a competitive edge in tight labor markets.

Who benefits most from workplace child care programs? Any working parent can benefit, but these programs are especially impactful for single parents, families without local support networks, parents of children with special needs, and employees in roles with demanding or irregular schedules.

How do employees find care providers through these programs? Most modern child care benefit platforms include a built-in network of vetted providers. Employees can browse credentials, reviews, and availability directly through a mobile app, making it easy to find qualified care on short notice.

Is child care support only for large employers? No. Child care benefits can be structured to fit organizations of various sizes. The key is partnering with the right platform to handle administration, vetting, and reimbursement, reducing the operational burden on HR teams.

Ready to Bring Child Care Benefits to Your Team?

Quality child care should not be a luxury available only to high earners. When employers invest in child care support, they invest in their workforce’s stability, productivity, and long-term success.

If you’re exploring how a child care benefit program could work for your organization, we’d love to walk you through it.

Book a 30-minute intro call with our team →