May 31, 2007 - Claremont, Calif. - Harvey Mudd College has implemented a new program that provides faculty and staff with trusted, reliable, affordable backup care options when they experience temporary disruptions in their child, adult and elder caregiving arrangements that would otherwise prevent them from fulfilling their work obligations.

HMC has contracted with Work Options Group, a Colorado-based firm with more than 10 years of experience as the leading backup care provider. Work Options Group manages an exclusive network of licensed in-home and center-based care providers in all 50 states and Canada, and schedules child, adult or elder care on behalf of client employees who need short-term assistance in order to continue working. Beginning May 1, benefits-eligible HMC employees can contact Work Options Group via e-mail or phone and request temporary home care (for up to three dependents) or center-based care. 

"We are thankful to Professor Mary Williams for bringing this rather unique program to the college's attention," said Debra Heavenston, assistant vice president for human resources. "It is a pleasure to be able to provide this type of assistance to faculty and staff as we each seek to improve our work-life balance."

Backup Care Options is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for infants through the elderly, whether they are healthy or mildly ill. It resolves various gaps in caregiving, including: replacing regular caregivers when they are sick or on vacation; caring for spouses, partners and loved ones who are recovering from medical treatment; and caring for children or adult family members when they are ill, home during a school closure or need help because the employee is traveling for work. Family members need not reside in the home or even in the same geographic area of the employee to be eligible.

Williams, who chairs the college's Campus Life Committee and brought the idea forward, said: "Many universities offer some sort of on-campus day-care facility for their employees, but HMC does not. Given our small size, it's probably not feasible to do so. However, we realized that the Work Options Group provides one way for us to make a commitment to and recognize the family needs of our employees. In some ways, the program we are offering fills more needs than a traditional day-care center."

Work Options Group has coordinated more than one million hours of backup care and offers this unique service to more than 500,000 employees of organizations such as Microsoft, Merrill Lynch, Prudential, Levi Strauss and the McGraw Hill Companies. HMC is only the second college or university in the nation (after Princeton University) to provide Backup Care Options as an employee benefit. The program was selected because it offers a low co-pay made possible by HMC underwriting, a wide geographic scope and the option of home- or center-based care.

Members of the HMC community who submit a request for care have access to a team of backup care specialists who provide advice, present options and schedule temporary care. Care is provided by contracted home care agencies, which require that all caregivers are background checked, CPR/first aid trained, licensed, insured and have relevant experience in child or adult/elder care; and child care centers, which must meet or exceed state licensing regulations and guidelines, including background checks, health and safety standards, and staff-to-child ratios.