Business Innovation in Child Care Spotlight: First Federal Savings

Groundwork Ohio, in partnership with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, has released a new resource, Business Innovation in Child Care: Case Studies Across Ohio, highlighting how businesses across the state are advancing child care solutions for their employees and communities. In the weeks ahead, we'll be spotlighting these efforts and sharing examples of innovative child care solutions from across Ohio.

This week, we're highlighting First Federal Savings, a small business proving that meaningful support for working families doesn't always require a major financial investment.

In April 2020, First Federal Savings launched its Babies at Work program, allowing employees to bring their infants to work until the child reaches six months of age or begins crawling. The initiative was inspired by a national Babies at Work model and required no additional funding to implement. Before launching the program, the bank consulted with its attorney and insurance provider, and participating employees sign a liability release.

The program offers flexibility for new parents while helping First Federal retain valued employees during the transition back to work. Infants accompany parents throughout the workday—even into meetings—and employees are trusted to ensure their child is not disruptive to colleagues.

First Federal Savings demonstrates that family-friendly workplace policies don't always require significant financial resources. Sometimes, thoughtful flexibility and a commitment to supporting employees can make a lasting difference for families and businesses alike.