Ventura, Calif. – Patagonia’s Reno distribution, repair and customer service center has grown to nearly 500 employees, and so has demand for on-site childcare services. This week, Patagonia celebrated the grand opening of its newly expanded Truckee River Child Development Center (TRCDC) with an event featuring Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Patagonia’s president and CEO Rose Marcario, and Patagonia’s VP of public engagement, Rick Ridgeway.
Patagonia has been invested in on-site child care at its Ventura headquarters since 1983 and continues to report a number of benefits, including more women in management positions, nearly 100 percent of new moms returning to work after taking maternity leave, improved productivity and an extremely positive workplace culture. In addition to offering on-site child care, Patagonia supports its employees with fully paid medical benefits for full time and part time workers, subsidized organic meals served in the on-site café and an onsite exercise space.
The cost of the program to parents is based on the market rate for Reno and subsidies are offered to employees based on income. Ninety-one percent of the program costs to the company are directly recouped through tax benefits and employee retention and engagement.
TRCDC provides on-site child care services to Patagonia’s Reno employees with two classrooms that can accommodate up to 24 children from infant through preschool. Patagonia employs eight early childhood education teachers to keep the student to teacher ratio low and Spanish immersion is an integral part of the program.
The 8,000 square foot LEED-certified space was previously the home of Patagonia’s Reno Outlet Store for 11 years. In November 2016, Patagonia relocated the outlet store to a new downtown location to make room for the child care expansion.
· All children learn and develop at a predictable yet highly individual pace.
· Children who play outdoors for long, uninterrupted periods of time develop strong connections with nature.
· Child initiated play and creative expression fosters ingenuity and enhances all areas of development.
Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. A certified B-Corporation, Patagonia’s mission is to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. The company is recognized internationally for its commitment to authentic product quality and environmental activism, contributing $82 million in grants and in-kind donations to date.