The Horizon Health Network and Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation have announced a child-care pilot program for Horizon staff and physicians.
In light of the growing demand for child-care services, officials said this initiative stands out as one of the first in New Brunswick as it aims to retain health-care workers while empowering staff and physicians to deliver essential care to patients in the Saint John region.
The pilot program will offer 51 net new child-care spaces for permanent full-time and part-time staff. Child care will be available for infants to five-year-olds, with 12 flex-time spaces between 6:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.
These spaces will be in a newly renovated centre near the Saint John Regional Hospital operated by Origins Natural Learning Childcare.
“As an employer, Horizon has a commitment to support staff and physicians who are going above and beyond every day to care for our patients—given this pervasive need and its link to our critical action priority of retention and recruitment, we’re excited to introduce this pilot as a new way of supporting our valued health care workforce,” said Horizon Health President and CEO Margaret Melanson.
The government-subsidized child-care funding will be managed by a Horizon Endowment Fund administered by the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation, with a total allocation of $2 million.
Horizon employee parents will pay the remaining applicable fees for the spaces, comparable to other designated child-care spaces, and cover additional fees for flex-time options.
Permanent employees can start applying for child-care spaces on Sept. 3 with services kicking off in the fall.
