Families And Work

BIG CORPORATIONS GENERALLY PREFER THAT EMployees leave their personal lives at home. But with 57% of women with children under six working outside the home, and 10% of all workers also serving as the primary caretakers for aging parents, business executives are finding that workers without proper day-care arrangements are workers whose minds aren't on the job. To help regain their attention, 137 major companies and organizations -- from AT&T to Mobil to the YMCA -- announced an unprecedented program to fund dependent care for employees' children and elderly relatives.

The newly formed American Business Collaboration for Quality Dependent Care plans to devote $25 million to fund 300 programs in 44 communities around the U.S., including Washington. The initiatives range from in-home arrangements for the elderly to school vacation programs and day-care facilities. In Washington, the House approved legislation that would provide employees with as much as 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year to care for relatives and newborn or sick children. But President Bush is expected to veto the bill.